Deji Lambo
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested the coordinator of an educational institute, Ayoola Sunday, for allegedly sexually molesting two admission seekers studying at his centre in Ilorin, the state capital.
The arrest was confirmed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ejire Adeyemi, to our correspondent on Monday.
She revealed that Sunday would be charged to court after the investigation is completed.
“He (Sunday) has been in our custody since Friday. As usual, when they finish their findings, he will be charged to court,” Adeyemi added.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the two victims, along with other admission seekers, were studying at Sunday’s centre in preparation for the Interim Joint Matriculation Board examination to gain admission into an institution when they accused him of sexually molesting them.
The two victims, along with some of their colleagues, visited the office of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, where official complaints were made against the coordinator.
One of the victims, who said she had been traumatised by the development, told our correspondent that the NSCDC officials quickly swooped into action and arrested Sunday.
The victim said, “He (Sunday) suddenly called me to come to his house to discuss my result, admission and the school I wanted to attend. When I got there, he started touching me and I kept stopping him till he overpowered me and penetrated me.
I left his house angrily. He started calling to apologise. When he observed that I was still angry, he threatened me. He said if I wanted to pass my exams and gain admission, I should not tell anyone what happened or else I would lose everything.
“But when he kept calling and I didn’t pick up, he started assuming that I had told someone about the incident. When I returned his calls, he started shouting on the phone, asking why I did not pick up his call and I ended the call.
“When I got to the hostel, I narrated all he did to me to my colleagues. I also discovered he did the same thing to another colleague and that particular victim was the person he did not want me to stay with at the hostel. We reported the case to the NSCDC officials and he was arrested, detained and later released.”
A sister of a colleague of the victims, who also accused Sunday of attempting to get into an intimate relationship with her while studying at his centre, said she encouraged the victims to report the case to the police for prompt investigation.
She said, “He (Sunday) also made attempts to have a romantic relationship with my sister but she declined. I have screenshots of his chats with my sister. I had to call and threaten him to back off from my sister or he would regret it.
“I was informed that two students accused Sunday of sexually molesting them. One happened in 2023 and another happened recently. So, with my experience of what he had been trying to do to my sister and with the victims’ accusations, I encouraged them to report to the police.
“My sister also went with them to report based on her experience with him. I was later informed that he had been arrested and was happy that the police swung into action immediately.”
Speaking further, the aggrieved sister said when she got the information that the suspect had been released, she became furious, adding that she never knew that the victims reported the case to the NSCDC instead of the police.
She said, “I never knew it was the NSCDC officials that they reported the case to. So, when I heard the suspect was released, I became helpless and concerned about the safety of my sister and the victims who were still living at his hostel.
“I quickly informed my family members and friends, including Adife, who made a post about the case on X.com. But when I got clarity that it was the NSCDC officials who arrested and released the suspect, the post was taken down.
“So, when PUNCH newspapers called regarding the case, I saw it as an opportunity to put the story in the right perspective. I apologise to the Kwara State Police Command, particularly the Commissioner of Police, and I also thank them for arresting Sunday.”
Before Sunday was rearrested, our correspondent contacted him to share his side of the story, but he denied the allegations.
He said, “All that they are saying is a lie; I didn’t rape anybody. But the truth will reveal itself as time goes on.”
Asked why he was initially arrested and detained in a cell at the NSCDC office based on the victims’ allegation against him, Sunday said, “When anyone hears that something like that has happened, they usually pity the lady; they don’t pity the man accused. She (one of the victims) passed the night at my place. But I did not rape anybody.”
When asked if he had sex with the victim when she passed the night at his place and if it was ethical for a female student seeking admission through him to pass the night at his house as he claimed, he said, “I will talk to you later,” and quickly hung up the call.
The spokesperson for the NSCDC in the state, Ayoola Michael, when contacted, said cases of sexual molestation were not joked with by the command, adding that the victims should visit the headquarters so the matter would be reinvestigated.
He said, “Tell the complainants to come to the state headquarters and let us open a fresh file. They should ask for me when they come to the headquarters, and I will engage them.
“If there is a need for us to open a new case file for them, we will continue from there and we will identify the division that wanted to sweep the case under the rug.”
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