The Nigerian Police have reportedly arrested Seyitan Babatayo, the lady who accused Nigerian singer, Dapo Oyebanjo, better known as D’Banj, of raping her.
Babatayo’s lawyers, Ojoge, Omileye, and Partners, confirmed her arrest on Tuesday in Lagos.
“They arrested Seyitan this morning in Lagos. They arrested our client but somebody is already there to facilitate her release on bail,” her lawyers told Premium Times.
“This matter is coming to Abuja by tomorrow; we are petitioning. The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) is taking up the petition tomorrow. That is all I can say about it for now,” they said.
But Bala Elkana, the Lagos State Police spokesperson, said he was not aware of any arrest.
The report comes barely 24 hours after the singer through his legal counsel, refuted the rape allegation from the lady demanding a compensation of N100 million for defamation.
The rape allegation scandal began when a Nigerian model scout, Benjamin Ese, alleged that D’Banj raped his friend on December 31, 2018, at Glee hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said this on Instagram on June 3.
Not disclosing the friend’s name, Ese wrote that his friend had attended a party in Lagos and was sighted by D’Banj “who wanted to have sex with her”. He went on to reveal how she was allegedly raped by the musician.
Thereafter, Babatayo revealed herself and demanded a public apology from D’Banj, through her lawyers.
The official demands contained in the letter addressed to the singer include a personal letter of apology.
D’Banj in his first official reaction on Tuesday, weeks after the news broke, asked Babatayo to pay N100 million as compensation for falsely accusing him of rape.
In a letter signed by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN and addressed to Babatayo’s lawyers, the singer demanded that his accuser pays the sum within 48 hours or risk legal action.
In the same letter dated June 15, the singer also demanded that a letter of apology and retraction of her statements be written by his accuser and published in four national dailies.
The letter read, “We have been instructed to demand and we do hereby demand from you the following: That your client makes an outright apology and a total retraction of each and every false allegation made against and concerning our client.
“The said apology and retraction shall be published in four national dailies with wide circulation in Nigeria as well as on social media platforms and handles being used by your client and her hirelings.
“That your client makes a compensatory deposit of the sum of N100m only through this chambers in favour of our client to assuage his battered image,” the statement read in part.
The development has stirred comments on social media.
Seyitan accused D’Banj a couple of weeks before this article of sexual assault.
Yesterday at about noon, Seyitan was and is still detained in Sodipo Ikeja and hasn’t been granted access to friends, family or a lawyer lawyers. https://t.co/UqdAlNXfnR— Kiki Mordi (@kikimordi) June 17, 2020
.@iamdbanj Why have you had a woman who accused you of rape detained without access to her friends, family or legal representation? Threatening and silencing her does not acquit you.
— Fisayo Longe (@FisayoLonge) June 17, 2020
Dbanj sued his accuser 100m. Good!
Now take her to court and get ‘justice’.But oh! I read he just had her detained. He doesn’t want justice again or what?
Terrible country. Terrible people.— PeterRock & WebsiteDesign (@PeterROCK_) June 17, 2020
Terribly disappointed Dbanj had his accuser detained, after he had done the right thing through his lawyers.
Whoever advised him to go this intimidation route, after his lawyers had appropriately intervened, has now helped him turn this into a messy scandal.
— Demola Olarewaju (@DemolaRewaju) June 17, 2020
My tweets are not delivering chronologically. Seyitan has been released.
— Kiki Mordi (@kikimordi) June 17, 2020
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