Claim:
On Wednesday, August 21st, a news story circulated through various newsrooms across Nigeria that a student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) was raped by a bike man on Friday, July 6th, 2024 .
The information was obtained from the Osun State Police Command’s spokesperson, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, while parading suspects at the state police headquarters.
Some of the newsrooms that published the news include, The Hope Newspaper, Osun Defenders, among others.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, August 28th, both the Students’ Union and OAU management debunked the information as false
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OAU Management Debunks News
The management dismissed claims that the victim of the viral rape case is a student of the institution. In a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, the university authorities clarified that the alleged victim has no affiliation with OAU.
According to Olarewaju, the university conducted a thorough investigation, which revealed that no OAU student was involved in the incident. He emphasized that the university is currently on break, with most students on holiday for nearly a month.
The PRO appealed to the media to verify the authenticity of stories involving OAU to prevent spreading misinformation. The university’s swift response aims to protect its reputation and ensure accurate reporting.
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Students’ Union Statement
The Students’ Union also released a similar press statement explaining that the student in question is a student of Foreign links and the incident took place off-campus after the victim had boarded the motorcycle outside the University’s premises.
When ACJOAU reached out to Aka Daniel, the Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union, he explained that the Students’ Union, immediately after seeing the news, “wrote to the Commissioner through the Police Public Relations Office”.
Daniel further explained that the management, in conjunction with the union, “visited and had a meeting with policemen because the victim insisted on remaining anonymous.
Conclusion:
The claim that an OAU Student was raped is false, as the Press release from the University Management and the Students’ Union showed that she was only picked up by the bike at the campus gate.