Sympathetic Internet users have contributed N1.6 million to support Seyitan Babatayo’s legal fees and welfare in the alleged rape trial against Multiple-Award winning singer, Oladapo Oyebanjo aka D’Banj.
Babatayo had accused D’Banj of violating and raping her on December 30, 2018 after gaining access to her hotel room in Glee Hotel, Lagos at midnight while she was asleep.
Babatayo had released a detailed statement on her entire experience. “30th December 2018: D’Banj gained access into my hotel room at past midnight while I was asleep. He violated and raped me,” she said.
Retaining the launch of June when D’Banj was due for his birthday, he wouldn’t have anticipated the unrest that will accompany his 40th anniversary.
The music star had joined other advocates on June 3, to passionately campaign against sexual harassment and violence on social media when he was called out by Babatayo as the chief of the act and consequently shared a summary of the event to mainstream media on June 5.
She said: ” On June 3rd, following an online post by D’Banj about saying no to rape, I called him out on his hypocrisy, by giving a detailed account of how he raped me in 2018,” “5th June 2020: I publicly shared a document from my lawyer regarding the situation.”
The singer however debunked the claims and demanded an outright apology together with N100 million in regards to the false statement made against him as published in a document by his lawyer on June 15.
“15th June 2020: D’Banj through his legal representative published a document in response to my Lawyer’s document, demanding N100 million in damages.”
Much cans of worm eventually overwhelmed the case when the claimant was unduly arrested by the police and reprimanded in custody among other terrifying harassment she suffered in the process of pestering her to retract her petition, a saga that span from June 16 to June 18.
She said: “On the 16th June 2020: Four armed Policemen stormed my apartment and arrested me without a warrant. They seized my phones, other personal effects and detained me in a police cell overnight at IGP-IRT office at Herold Shosipo, Ikeja. With the special intervention of STER (Stand To End Rape Initiative), Babatayo returned to her normal life but still being bullied continuously”.
“17th June 2020: With various efforts, I was released from custody, after being made to sign a gag order by the police and D’banj’s team and could only post on social media what has been approved by D’banj’s team. I spent the night in a location of D’banj’s team choosing, which was not made known to the public.”
“18th June 2020: I was isolated from my family, coerced, pressured and intimidated in person by D’banj and his team to retract all statements and to announce that my testimony was a publicity stunt.”
