Lawyer, not Busola Dakolo, fined N1 million in Fatoyinbo’s alleged rape case

 

BY OUR EDITOR

Contrary to earlier report that an Abuja High Court Thursday threw out the alleged rape case filed by photographer, Busola Dakolo, against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) and awarded a N1 million cost against her, it has emerged that it was her lawyer that was fined by the court.

The certified true copy (CTC) of the Bwari court order obtained by THE PUNCH shows that the lawyer was fined by the court in line with earlier undertaking he took before the court to pay damages in the effect the suit turned frivolous.

Court strikes out Busola Dakolo’s rape suit against Fatoyinbo, fines her N1 million

“I have calmly reflected on the entire circumstances of this case and after due weight accorded to the submissions of Counsel on the point, I am satisfied that this suit being an abuse of court process is a deserving case for award of cost (in) favour of the Defendant as prayed and against the Learned Counsel for the Claimant which I hereby assessed at One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00),” Justice Oathman A. Musa ruled.

“This in line with his undertaking to pay damages in the event this suit turns frivolous, there is nothing ingenious in not looking at the statute of limitation before bringing this action. I would have awarded ten times that amount, but in the interest of women who have cases that are not dormant this court shall always encourage them to come forward,” the judge added.

Dakolo had filed the suit against Fatoyinbo after she claimed that the COZA pastor raped her 20 years ago in Ilorin, Kwara State, when she was 16 years.

Fatoyinbo denied the allegations.