OPC denies involvement in Lagos rape case

The Oodua Peoples Congress has denied involvement in a rape case reported in Lagos last week.

The victim was allegedly raped in Alapere, Ketu area of the state.

Some persons alleged in the media that some OPC members were involved in the case.

But the OPC in a statement on Sunday denied involvement.

The statement, signed by Comrade Azeez Jimoh, the Coordinator of the group in Agboyi Ketu Local Council Development Authority, encouraged newsmen to always embark on fact finding before publishing such stories.

Jimoh said in the statement: “The attention of the Oodua People’ s Congress has been drawn to the malicious alleged rape of a woman in Alapere  area of Lagos State in which members of our organization have been linked with.

“We would have ignored the write up titled: “Controversy trails the alleged rape of a woman by four OPC members,” published in the Vanguard Newspaper of Wednesday 12th of August 2015 but we considered the damage of the publication to the memory and knowledge of millions of readers, who read the story, all over the world.

“The OPC in clear term dissociated out members from the alleged nefarious activities and the police in Alapere police station and the Lagos State Police command have absolved members of our organization from the allegedly dastardly act.

“Much as we believe in the rule of law and freedom of expression, we frown against act of irresponsible journalism, that is capable of dragging the hard-earned names and reputation and names of individuals, groups and corporate organizations in the mire.

It is germane at this point to emphasize that no member of the OPC has been arrested in connection with the said alleged rape and this can be verified with the police at Alapere police station and the state police command public relations officer.

“As a responsible organization, we would have resorted to instituting a legal proceeding, but in appreciation of the cordial relationship between the OPC and the media in Nigeria, we have decided to thread the friendly part but put the record straight.

“It is unthinkable in this modern world of information technology that a reporter will go the the press without seeking the reaction of the accused person in a case as serious as rape. This is a great length of indiscipline and irresponsibility. It is unethical and must be properly investigated.

“Our investigations not only revealed that our members were not in any way linked with the alleged rape but also that the police advised the writer of the said story to wait until the culprits were arrested but she rushed to the press without considering the implication of the effect of the report on the readers.

“The Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigerian Union of Journalists and other regulatory bodies in the media industry should attach great importance to reaction and feedback from the accused persons or groups before publishing stories that are damaging and injurious to people and organizations’ character and reputation.

“It is also important that the writer of the said story should do a follow up and do the needful by coming out with the true fact of the incident. Has it ever been established that the woman was raped and who were the people involved?”