'You Were Friends With Benefits' –Judge Tells Lady Who Accused Colleague Of Rape

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has freed a man accused by female colleague of rape after the judge resolved  rape did not occur based on the defendant's arguement.

According to Justice Abiola Soladoye, the accuser and the accused were "friends with benefits."

Justice Soladoye said in instances where there were controversies as to whether consent was willingly given, medical evidence should be provided which the prosecution counsel failed to present.

“This is a case of a friendship that went sour as far as this court is concerned," said the Judge.

Thirty-year-old Damilola Odekunle had accused her teacher colleague, Akorede Quadri, of rape sometime in September 2017, an allegation he denied, claiming they were both into a sexual relationship which went sour at some point.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the complainant reported the rape allegedly committed in September 2017 to the police in November 2017.

She told the court that Quadri raped her after he went to her apartment in Ikotun, Lagos, to pick up a bag he kept in her possession.

In her evidence, the complainant testified that Quadri and she were both working in a school in Lagos, adding that she had worked in the school for only two weeks when the alleged rape occurred.

The complainant, now 30-year-old, said she was 27 years old at the time of the alleged rape.

She said “When he came to my house, he grabbed me and raped me. I said to him, “What if I get pregnant?” He asked if I had potash at home and I said, “Yes”, and he gave me potash, water and salt to drink.

But, Quadri, who was arraigned on Jan. 10, on a count charge of rape, disputed the claims in his evidence.

According to him, “She told me she was a divorcee, she said she married her ex-husband as a virgin and he made her unhappy.

“I told her to forget him and move on with her life. We became friends with benefits.

“The sexual intercourse we had was not forced, it was consensual. She nagged after the intercourse that I ejaculated inside her.

“I asked if she had salt and potash in her house and she said, “Yes”. She added the salt and potash inside the water and drank it.

“This was in September 2017; I have had several rounds of sexual intercourse with her after that occasion. I can’t count the number of times we had sex,” he said.

According to Quadri, the relationship between them became sour due to the complainant’s jealousy resulting from his perceived relationships.