The parents of a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, known as Adeife, have travelled to Ile-Ife to apologise to the parents of David Ojuko, a male student falsely accused of being a rapist by Adeife.
Ojuko had earlier slammed Adeife with a ₦15 million lawsuit following the false allegation of rape.
The second-year student initiated the lawsuit after being publicly accused of rape by Adeife, on social media platforms in mid-February.
Trouble started when Ojuko reposted a post by someone critical of the claim by Mirabel that she was violently raped in her room.
Ojuko’s post angered Adeife, who ferociously attacked him and labelled him a rape apologist. She later upgraded that to a full accusation of rape.
She circulated his phone number on WhatsApp, exposing him to ridicule, harassment and reputational harm, according to his legal team.
Ojuko filed a petition before OAU’s senate, and Adeife was summoned to defend her allegations. She capitulated as she had no evidence to proffer.
She was asked to apologise to her fellow student for the wrong accusation. She promptly complied, but this did not stop Ojuko from filing a lawsuit to defend his name.
Despite the accuser’s public apology and retraction video, in which she admitted her claim was made emotionally and without evidence, David’s lawyers argue that the original allegation caused lasting damage that could not be undone by the retraction alone.
The lawsuit demands ₦15 million in compensation for defamation, emotional distress and reputational injury, along with a formal written and public apology, removal of all defamatory content, and a commitment to refrain from future defamatory statements.
In her apology video, Adeife acknowledged that her statement was made “in the heat of the moment” and admitted she was wrong to label David a rapist.
She expressed regret and said her family had met virtually with Ojuko’s family to discuss the issue.She added that they physically visited the parents of Ojuko in Ile-Ife.
She reiterated that David was not a rapist and described her actions as careless.
Although she has since apologised, David’s legal representatives maintain that the damage caused by her actions was significant and ongoing, citing sustained online harassment, threats and negative effects on his personal and professional reputation.
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