Court frees Osun Monarch of raping NYSC member,says they had a regular sexual relationship

Justice Oyejide Falola of the Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun on Tuesday gave the verdict today, putting an end to a three-year sexual case that has brought national attention on the traditional king, the Alowa of Ilowa-Ijesa, Oba Adebukola Alli, and his accuser, Helen Okpara.

Delivering judgment, Falola said that the plaintiff, Miss Helen Okpara, failed to tender enough exhibits to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that she was raped by the monarch.

The judge also held that the plaintiff, who accused the monarch of raping her at his private residence in Osogbo, failed to prove that she was raped.

He said a case of rape could only be established with exhibits such as bed sheet, the victim’s pant and a medical report indicating forceful penetration, adding that the prosecutor failed to tender all these.Falola said Okpara also failed to show the bruises on her private part as evidence that she was raped.
He further said the prosecutor failed to show to the court the plaintiff’s torn clothes as she had claimed in her submissions before the court.

While stressing that a case of rape must be proved with injuries sustained on the private part as well as other parts of the body, Falola said the court was not convinced that Okpara sustained any injury.

Falola said the court was able to establish the fact that Okpara and the monarch had been having regular sexual relationship before a misunderstanding ensued between them.

He, however, condemned such relationship involving a traditional ruler, saying his action had brought his stool into disrepute as well as disgrace to his family and community.

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For those who missed her account, Read below

 "I was raped by the Alowa of Ilowa on Friday, March 25. Before then, I had been introduced to the monarch during the last INEC registration exercise.

"One day, on my way from the school, Oba Alli gave me a ride and told me that he wanted me to be a computer facilitator for the schools in the community. That was after he got to know that I was computer literate and we drew a plan on the format the assignment would take." She explained that she later had a session with the students and after introducing the system to them, the traditional ruler offered to take her back to school. But instead of dropping her at the school, he reportedly took her to his residence in Osogbo, a few kilometers to her place of primary assignment. 

"He said I should not worry, that he would bring me back home and eventually we arrived at his residence in Osogbo where he entertained me. It was getting late and I wanted to go home as he started to caress me. I got up begging him, but he turned down my pleas," 

She explained further that the monarch later stripped her and went outside to soak her clothes, stressing that before he came back, she had locked the door.