Editorial Column
Retraction Of Sexual Harassment Claim Against Ogun Commissioner: Barakat’s Abracadabra?
On Monday, January 4th, 2021, sixteen-year-old Barakat Mayowa, who accused Ogun State commissioner of environment, Abiodun Abdul-Balogun of sexually harassing her released a video in which she withdrew her allegations against the commissioner, describing her claims as a mere ‘misconception’.
As earlier reported by EkoHotBlog, Barakat had accused the commissioner of schemingly luring her to his residence on December 31st, 2020, and forcibly trying to abuse her sexually before her call for help stopped him in his deadly tracks from carrying on with his plot.
She also alleged that the commissioner, while trying to induce her to give in to his overtures had offered financial enticements which she turned down before narrowly escaping being raped by the skin of her teeth.
Barakat’s claim, to say the least, had sparked national and international outrage, prompting the Ogun State government to temporarily remove the commissioner from the employment of the state.
But in a shocking twist of events, the sixteen-year-old has now released a viral video, recanting her earlier claim and describing it as a mere misconception between her and the commissioner.
This retraction is further backed by a man who claims to be Barakat’s biological father, who implored Nigerians to look away from the contentious matter, and that his daughter’s claim was borne out of a misunderstanding with the commissioner.
Without a doubt, it would echo as unfair to attempt to tell Barakat’s story for her, but then, the young lady’s retraction also echoes as a badly rehearsed opera which reeks of a deeper level of corruption than her accusation against the commissioner.
While there was always the benefit of the doubt for Mr Abiodun, who immediately disowned the allegation and described it as a lie concocted by his political enemies to put him on the rocks, Barakat’s claim had been told with such exacting clarity which left no room for doubt as to the veracity of her claim; hence, coming back to recant a story which was told with such graphic details as a mere ‘misunderstanding’ leaves an alarming question mark as to what has happened behind the scenes.
In the new video, Barakat thanked Nigerians for their love and support towards her plight but asked all concerned Nigerians to leave the matter to rest since it has now been ruled as a mere misconception. But then, before leaving this matter to rest, it may be pertinent to review its raw facts to come to grips with why this urban myth should not be dismissed flippantly. While narrating her sexual harassment ordeal, Barakat had said,
“On December 31, one Mr Lasisi came to my grandparents’ place in the area and said he knew someone who needed a computer operator and asked if I knew how to operate a computer. I said yes. Then he said I should get dressed and that we would go together to the place.
“When we got there, it was the honourable’s house. A lady, Maryam Odunnuga, came to pick me and took me into a living room. Mr Austin now came out and asked me to come over to a room. The honourable now came inside and Mr Austin went outside immediately,” the teenager said.
“The honourable locked the door instantly and put the key in his pocket. So, he moved close to me and asked for the name of my school. He also asked for the amount I was paying as school fees, I replied by saying ₦30,000. He asked me who was paying my school fees, I told him my daddy. He said if I had thought of starting a business before going to school.
“I said I wanted to go to a higher institution. Then he said if I would need some money now, how much would I need? I said, any amount. He said I should state an amount. He now moved closer and pressed (fondled) my breasts. So, I moved his hand away. He now said won’t I cooperate. He now started pressing (fondling) my breasts and my body.
“I was struggling to free myself from him. Then he started reciting some incantations. He wanted to touch my head. I now moved his hand away so that he should not touch my head. He now wanted to force me inside his bathroom.
“But I struggled with him and started shouting. He did not want people around his house to know what was going on. He now left me and gave him four, ₦500 notes, that is ₦2,000 as my transport fare. I rejected the money.”
The year 2020, within the Nigerian context, had been replete with a barrage of sexual harassment claims and counterclaims, with some quarters of the society calling for more stringent penalties against offenders as well as such persons deemed to have falsified claims for personal gain, since such falsities could be capable of ruining the lives and careers of otherwise innocent persons.
This is why it is very pertinent for Barakat to explicate further on this seeming scam played on Nigerians. Was this story, which seems above and beyond the fictive imagination of a 16-year-old a lie? Because in plain parlance, the story is either a flat out lie or the truth.
From the narrative, the vivid recollection of characters involved, the scenes as well as the action which was alleged to have take place at the honourable minister’s house fail to produce the makings of a misconception by any stretch of the imagination. Hence, it is either Barakat had told a flat out lie, or, something shady has happened behind the scenes.
Furthermore, a critical review of Barakat’s new video more or less reveals a 16-year-old reciting the pages of a well-rehearsed script. The difficulty in processing her thoughts, the meticulousness in rendering the lines to perfection, as well as the struggle to recollect the lines of this script, are all evident in the manner which she makes her rendition.
Again, while it may not be fair to muzzle the trajectory of young Barakat’s story, there appears to be too many red flags surrounding these two conflicting tales which reverberates as an unfair abuse of the emotions of concerned Nigerians who had thronged to throw their weight behind a supposed victim of human injustice.
Attempted Rape: 16 year old girl withdraws case against Ogun State Commissioner #schoolsreopening pic.twitter.com/TnnSFuTtkc
— EkoHotBlog (@ekohotblog) January 4, 2021
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