Protesters from
Ilowa, yesterday, stormed
the premises of Osogbo High
Court, protesting against the
trial of their traditional ruler,
Adebukola Alli, who is
standing trial over a case of
alleged rape of a 23-year-
old ex-corps member, Miss
Helen Okpara.
The protesters,including
school children, market
women and men carried
placards of various
inscriptions and almost
disrupted the court sitting as
they chanted songs,
eulogising the accused
monarch.
Students of Ifelodun
Grammar School, Ilowa, led
the protest and carried
placards with inscriptions
such as “This is War Against
Ilowa People”, “Stop The
Blackmail, Our Oba is a
Decent Oba”, “Your Game-
Plan Has Failed” in front of
the court room.
However, the trial Judge,
Justice Oyejide Falola, did
not allow the protest to
derail court proceedings as
he continued with the trial of
the monarch.
Counsel to the monarch, Mr.
Taofeek Tewogbade, who
applied for a no-case
submission, said his client
had sexual intercourse with
Helen on his bed without the
victim’s shoes, adding that
the act took place in a
serene atmosphere.
However, a lawyer, who
claimed to be a friend of the
court, rose to fault
Tewogbade’s defence and
his action caused serious
altercation among the
lawyers in court.
Tewogbade also informed
the court that his client and
the victim were like Romeo
and Juliet when the going
was good, and had been to
the Osun Groove together
on several occasions for
reasons known to them.
The monarch’s counsel said
in his submission that “Helen
had informed this court in
her evidence that the
accused monarch raped her
nakedly but in the history of
rape case in the world, there
has never been a time an
accused person was said to
have raped his victim
nakedly. It has never
happened.
”I urge the court to take
judicial notice of the fact that
Miss Helen’s pant or bra was
not torn during the alleged
rape”.
He added that: “No case
submission may be properly
made and upheld when
there has been no evidence
to prove the essential
element in the alleged
offence.
”When the evidence
adduced by the prosecution
has been so discredited as a
result of cross-examination
or is so manifestly unreliable
no reasonable tribunal could
safely convict on it.”
However, the defence
counsel, Mr. Dapo Adeniyi,
opposed the application of
no case submission,
informing the court that the
accused monarch is facing a
four- count charge of rape,
kidnapping, indecent assault
and defamation of the ex-
corps member.
Adeniyi told the court that
the victim was forcefully
penetrated without her
consent, adding that the
accused monarch bruised
her private part and raped
her.
He said the victim is in a
state of trauma and distress
owing to her ordeal in the
hands of the accused
monarch .
Justice Falola, however,
adjourned the case till May
21, for ruling on the no case
submission.
“The school children, who
are supposed to be
attending schools were
brought to court and given
placards in a case of rape
allegedly committed against
a youth corps member.
http://vanguardngr.com/2012/05/alleged-rape-ilowa-residents-protest-in-court-over-monarchs-trial/

It is pathetic that adults,
who are striving for
development of youths, have
no scruple in trying to
mortgage the future of the
youths for pursuit of
personal ego.

He should be thoroughly punished. Time to let these monarchs understand we are now in the age of civil law not the crappy traditions that allowed them to lord it over everyone. Romeo and Juliet my foot!!!