The National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West Zone, has cleared one of its executive members, Opeoluwa Awoyinfa, of rape allegations that went viral on social media.
The PUNCH reported, on August 10, that the student body suspended Awoyinfa, following the controversy of alleged sexual assault involving him and a female student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, and set up a committee to probe into the allegations.
In a statement made available to The PUNCH, Wednesday, signed by the Coordinator of the zone, Adegboye Emmanuel, the student body revealed that the Association had reinstated Awoyinfa as its Public Relations Officer, having been cleared of the allegation in the report tendered by the five-man committee.
The PUNCH had also reported that the lady in question also debunked the issue of rape, saying she only had some issues with Awoyinfa, who was her boyfriend, and that the issue was being resolved.
“After a careful analysis of the report that was submitted to the leadership of the zone by the committee that was set up to look into the allegation of rape and attempt to blackmail raised against Awoyinfa Opeoluwa (the PRO of the zone as he then was), we have come to realise that the allegations were nothing but a result of the widest imagination of the writer which in turn had a negative effect on both Awoyinfa, the said lady in question, the Nigerian Police Force and NANS as a body.
“In the report, it was gathered that all that transpired between the duo was a disagreement that had to be put to rest before eventually going their separate ways. It was also learnt that the writer and his accomplice after their arrest by the police in Akure had since apologised to the duo via the same platform the misleading news was conveyed to the public (Twitter) and a space was held to clarify issues and to also recount all he wrote against the duo,” NANS said.
“It is based on the foregoing that the leadership of the zone, hereby, lift the suspension that was placed on Awoyinfa as the PRO of the zone.
“For the record, the suspension was borne out of the need to lead by example and to showcase the non-tolerance of the association to rape and every social vice. As an Association, we believe that suspending him would make the committee discharge their duties efficiently without any interference, fear or favour.
“Conclusively, we reiterate our zero-tolerance to rape and Gender-Based Violence in the society. We also warn purveyors of fake news to do away from it and to verify every source of information thoroughly,” the statement added.
