SPECIAL REPORT: Alleged Theft And Attempted Rape; Witnesses and Victim Testify. Great Bello's Testimony

 

Recently, a theft case in Obafemi Awolowo University community made news waves when a part 5 student of Faculty of Technology was accused of stealing properties belonging to some residents of Awolowo Hall.

Following the event surrounding the theft case, the accused, Mr Bello Ibrahim popularly known as Great Bello, in his response to the measures meted out on him released a public statement stating that the actions of the security council and the Electoral Committee Chairman Mr Ajayi Oluwafemi popularly known as Castro was as a result of political difference and his stance against the candidacy of the said electoral commission chairman.

However, the leadership of the Electoral Commission led by Castro called for an emergency Press conference on the 4th of August with the Association of Campus Journalists to clear the air on the whole issue. In attendance was the Chairman, Public Relations Officer, Commissioners from across the faculties and the witnesses as well as the theft victims. The press conference also opened the case of attempted rape. 

Alleged Theft

On Sunday 1st August 2021, Damilare a student and residence of Awo Hall, saw his lost boxers and short on Ibrahim Bello, he asked him if they were his and he said they belong to his roommate. Mr. Damilare went on to call his friend and the friend testified that they belong to Mr. Damilare. Mr. Bello later confessed that the clothes were neither his nor his roommates.

An argument ensued between them and the noise attracted another Awolowo Hall resident, Mr. Olarewaju, who came into the accused's room and discovered mattress, pillow and clothes, which belongs to his room. Another resident, Mr. Emmanuel, also claimed that his room was ransacked during the semester's break and found his lost fan in the same room.

The chairman in his explanation about the theft said on August 1st 2021 around 10:47am received a distress call from one  Mr Micheal where he told him that a thief has just been caught in Awo Hall and that his attention was urgently needed. He, hearing that summoned available students' union response team members and moved down to Awo Hall. On getting to the scene, he requested for the accused to be brought before him so that he could be questioned but the accused, Ibrahim Bello couldn’t give a succinct explanation so he had to ask the victims and people affected who told him that the accused stole their bed, standing fan, cooking gas, clothings amongst others.

Students surround the accused, Great Bello. 

The chairman who saw the situation of things at that moment decided that the case be taken to the students' union building for it to be resolved there. At the Students' Union Building, it was agreed by students and the affected persons present that he should be beaten the strokes of cane according to the number of things he stole in which he confirmed that he stole 10 items out of the 15 listed items which was multiplied by 5 and it was agreed by all that he should be beaten 50 strokes of the cane and that he should be paraded across all the eight ( 8 ) halls of residence and also given community service.

Recovered items from Great Bello's room

The Chief Security Officer further stated that the Scientific Maximum Shi Shi (SMS) that was meted out to the accused was done by randomly picked students who are not  part of the security council so the punishment meted out was not as a result of political misunderstanding as stated by the accused, Bello Ibrahim.

Alleged Sexual Assault

Victim's Narration

During NUASA's freshers night party, Miss X, an OAU CDL student claimed that she met Bello Ibrahim who introduced himself as 'Richard.' While narrating the event, she said he asked her to be his girlfriend but she declined. “We exchanged phone numbers at some point,” she said. 

The next day, he invited her to Awo Hall and tried to sneak her in as the time she arrived wasn’t the appropriate time for allowing opposite genders or visitors into halls of residence. After many failed attempts on trying to sneak her in, he later managed to get her into the hall through one Mr. Fatokun Matthew (name obtained from Security Committee) and took her to his room at the Awolowo Hall's annex.  

He locked the doors when they entered and tried to have his way with her. He forcefully took her clothes but was not successful. He threatened the girl with the phrase ‘I am a Benin boy’ which instilled fear in the lady. 

Futhermore, he asked the lady if she has money in bank account and her credit card with her that he wants to transfer some money to her and withdraw immediately. The lady released her 'ATM' card and gave him her pin. She claimed that he didn't transfer any money to her. He left the room and the lady used the opportunity to wear her clothes. He came back and asked if the lady will be spending the night with him in the hall as it was already late and she doesn’t stay in Ife but Moro. The lady not knowing the rules and regulations of the hall agreed.

After she consented to staying, he insisted on having sex with her and began harassing her. The lady ran out of the room around 9:00pm, but ‘Mr. Richard’ pulled her hand to forcefully get her into the room. She also noticed that other residents in the hall didn't react but kept to their 'businesses.' He lost hold of her and she got a motorcycle to campus gate. When she got to campus gate, she saw a debit alert of #4,000.

When she got to Moro, she narrated the whole situation to her roommate and her roommate made the steps of informing the Students’ Union Security Committee.

After the event, she sent him mesaages on whatsapp to confront for his act. Chats (which were obtained by association of campus journalists) showed that Mr. Richard withdrew N4,000 stating that he did it to taech her a lesson. 

When Mr. Ibrahim Bello was invited by the Security Committee and after so much evidences, he confessed to the allegations and the Security Committee ordered him to be given Scientific Maximum Shishi (SMS), to be paraded, to perform some community services and refund the money he withdrew from the lady’s account.

The lady pleaded for him not to be paraded as it’ll have negative effects on him sooner or later and it was accepted.

In the narration of the chairman, he stated that the accused at one point projected himself to people as Richard and at another point Leke both of which were fake names. He further stated that he has for over six years deceived the Association of Osun State students that he is from Osun State, whereas upon investigation it was discovered that he is from Kwara state. 

Great Bello's Testimony 

In a telephone conversation with ACJ correspondent, the accused, Ibrahim Bello, stated that all the witnesses’ stories were not true as he was been molested and he said he couldn’t defend himself. He said he had to admit to all the allegations because he was under duress and it was a forced confession as he said there are video evidences that could attest to that fact.

He narrated:

“I woke up on Sunday morning and stepped out of my room, and I saw two students, one of them attacked me and was even dragging the boxers on me, I was surprised and asked the reason for the commotion, he said this boxers belong to him and he has been looking for it for quite sometime now so where did I get the boxer from. I said this is a boxer that belongs to me. He further asked me where I got it from and I ignored him and went my way as I replied him with "are you a joker? “He also went his way and later came back shouting and raising alarm trying to get attention from afar, I did not answer him. He came back and banged the door on me shouting some things were missing two weeks ago, he mentioned those items and I was the one that stole it, he mentioned those items and I was like what is the meaning of all of this, then the crowd was getting much and I was still on that same boxers, then the crowd accused me saying "you self talk nah where you get boxers from?", then the guy who accused me was going about making calls, then he came back inside the room and ask me how many boxers do I have with me, that I should just confess and he his not going to cast me, and I should just admit that I was the one that stole it and he his not going to escalate it. From there I was like five years on this campus and I was never accused of this before.”

“Everybody was getting aroused and before I knew what was happening, my door was forced open, the porter came and intervened and they told him "this guy he stole this he stole that."They search through my box and brought out the items and boxer as evidence, I told him this were my roommate's own, then he said give me a number and I was like just let my roommate come and interrogate him also, he knows what I wear cause actually my phone was off and I was charging it. I have two roommates. He later collected the number and said the number is not going, the porter came and collected my ID card, got my details but they later pushed the man out and he insisted that I was going to be paraded, he prevented people from coming inside and he kept trying to convince me saying I should admit I stole these things and he is not going to drag the issue. Before I know it, the electoral chairman has been called but before then he has carried me up telling me I should postrate, giving me all sort of combat that I should postrate, he even wounded a guy in that process, the one that challenged him on his evidence.”

When the chairman arrived, he said “you are already taking justice on the person.” Then I told the chairman that I can't work down to SUG like this just on boxers alone without slippers, so the image of a thief is already thrown out already, when we left other people went into my room and start bringing out different items like bulb, socket, and fan, ankara claiming they are all some other persons' own. So that was more like okay so that guy came in the morning and these other ones came to compound issues again 

Futhermore, he stated that the bed was given to him by a postgraduate student and the bed was new. He also went ahead to narrate how his whole cupboard with important stuffs went missing during his part 1 days and he never accused anybody of theft. He pressed on that life in hostel is not lived by accusing someone of stealing objects that are not of economical value. 

He also mentioned the act that there are other serious thefts which have taken place and the suspects were not paraded and informing the press was just to defame his personality and render him powerless politically for their (SU and its members) own personal reasons and benefits.

Concerning the rape case, he did not deny the fact that he cajoled her to try having sex with her and he also said he informed her that he might not be able to control himself if she was staying overnight and she still agreed to that. He said: “But as time went on, after I tried persuading her, she decided to leave for her house and I freed her to go. It was later I got a call from the Students' Union Electoral Commission/Security Committee accusing me of rape.” He said he was locked up since Wednesday and was released on Thursday after several interrogations without concrete evidence except trying to establish why he withdrew 4k from her account without her consent. He claimed that the girl was influenced to tag it as attempted rape and he was asked to apologise and return the money, with everything settled amicably from the both parties. At the end of his narration, he asked; which is more severe, a rape case or a theft case of stealing boxers and matress?

 He further stated that he intends to take legal measures as all the allegations against him were not true and he doesn’t think the media can help him.

Investigations are still ongoing, trying to establish facts as given. More revelations might be coming up soon. The reports on the allegations are backed up by living witnesses, victims' reports, and documentary evidence which will submit to authorities upon request.