Oba Adebukola Alli, the Alowa of Ilowa, who is facing trial for allegedly raping a female National Youth Service Corps member, has a case to answer, an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has ruled.
Justice Oyejide Falola on Monday upheld the submission of the state counsel, Mr. Dapo Adediji, who contended that the accused had a case to answer. But dismissed the allegations of kidnap, indecent assault, and deprivation of liberty levelled against the monarch.
Falola said, “The defence presented a 10-page ‘no case submission’ on all the charges – after the prosecution made its submission. On indecent assault, the ‘victim’ who had alleged that her pants and bra were torn, later admitted that she wore the same pants and bra when she was leaving the scene of the alleged event.
“The police also failed to tender the bedspread; and the medical doctor, who testified, did not tender a medical report. There was no proof of struggle, use of force or semen stain.”
Ruling on the alleged kidnap, the judge said the NYSC member could not prove that she was kidnapped because she was relaxed in the apartment, ate and drank.
Besides, he said she did not present a call log to prove that she called some people when in distress.
Falola recalled that the defence told the court that she was a regular visitor to the monarch’s Osogbo residence, adding that one of the text messages sent by the lady to the Oba says: “Sweetheart, stop embarrassing me”.
The judge recalled that the lady, upon interrogation by the defence, confessed to have been “deflowered over a decade ago and had sex with her friends.”
Dismissing the “no case submission,” which the monarch filed against the rape charge, the judge ruled that the court would give Oba Alli the opportunity to clear his name.
