Rape suit: No court imposed N1m fine on me – Busola Dakolo

Busola Dakolo, wife of Nigerian inspirational singer, Timi Dakolo, has refuted the report in some sections of the media that an FCT High Court in Bwari fined her N1 million in her suit against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that an FCT High Court on Thursday declared Busola Dakolo’s suit on her alleged rape by Fatoyinbo, founder of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, as “statute barred”.
The Court, presided over by Justice A.O. Musa, ruled that the matter was filed out of time because the events that crystallised to form the cause of action took place 16 years ago.
The Court further ruled that the claimant had only six years within which to seek redress in court in line with the statute of limitation.
But Busola through her lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a letter addressed to Punch Newspapers demanded an apology from media organisations that reported the matter contrary to court ruling.
The letter reads in part: “We write in respect and reference to your online publication on the 14th day of November, 2019, with the caption ‘Sponsored; Court Throws Out Busola Dakolo’s Case Against Fatoyinbo’ where in the said report you falsely stated, to wit: the Court also awarded cost of N1,000,000 against Busola Dakolo and held that the fine should have been 10 times more because the court’s time was wasted.
“This false report sponsored on your platform was copied by other media platforms and widely circulated on social media including television stations, deliberately misrepresenting the Court’s decision in a clear attempt to ridicule our client in its ruling/judgment as there could not have been any basis for that.”
Olajengbesi further demanded a confidential release of the name of the person who sponsored the news content, adding that failure to do so in 48 hours would force them to take other permissible actions under the law against the Newspaper(s).
Dakolo, who is also a celebrity photographer, had accused Fatoyinbo of raping her in Kwara State when she was 17 years.
Fatoyinbo, however, denied the allegations, stressing that he had never raped anyone before, “not even as an unbeliever”.
He eventually filed an objection and an affidavit at the court stating that Busola’s statements were concocted to embarrass, scandalise and ridicule him.
NAN.