Fellow Nigerians, I greet you all.

I’ll like to speak on the rape allegation as narrated by Mrs Busola Dakolo in a recent video interview.

My heart was heavy with emotion and my eyes laden with tears as I watched the narrative.

I had refrained from commenting on the incident, until I hear from Rev Abiodun Fatoyinbo, in the spirit of fairness.

Rape is a great crime against womanhood and in deed humanity and I stand in condemnation of it wholeheartedly.

That this act was said to have been committed against Busola at age 17 makes it even more infuriating.

Mrs Dakolo finally finding the courage to speak out several years after the incident is immaterial.

Rape victims are stigmatised in Nigeria, causing many such victims to keep quiet and nurse their hurts secretly, emboldening the culprits for more exploits thereby.

I commend Mr Timi Dakolo for encouraging his wife, a mother of three, to speak out and standing by her.

I commend Mrs Busola Dakolo for daring societal critiques to bare it all.

I thank Rev Abiodun Fatoyinbo, for promptly responding to this recent allegation in a press release, unlike in 2013 when he kept mute about the allegation of sex scandal against him by a former COZA member, Ese Walter.

I encourage Mrs Dakolo to take this beyond the social media, by instituting a legal action in court.

I encourage Rev Abiodun Fatoyinbo, the Senior Global Pastor of COZA, to make good his threat as contained in his press release and sue Mrs Dakolo for defamation of character, since he claims innocence of the allegation.

In the course of cross-examinations in the dock, more TRUTHS shall emerge in the court room and that which is hidden shall be brought to the open!

I hereby call on all rape victims to SPEAK OUT, irrespective of how long ago it took place.

I call also on all persons who were sexually molested by their bosses in their places of work or relations at home or spiritual fathers in places of worship, to SPEAK OUT!

I urge us to stand by rape victims and desist from the act of condemning and stigmatising them when they do speak out, lest this dastardly act will continue to flourish in our society.

The YesWeFit Revolutionary Movement shall continue to mobilise support for rape victims so that this act will become a thing of the past in our society.

A New Nigeria is possible

Together we can

#YesWeFit

•Dr Thomas-Wilson Ikubese is Convener, YesWeFit Revolutionary Movement.

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