Ekiti ADC faults police over arrest of Ayodele Babatola, alleges politicisation
By Boye Oyeyemi
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Ekiti State Police Command on Wednesday traded words over the arrest and remand of the party’s House of Assembly candidate for Ado-Ekiti Constituency I, Ayodele Babatola, in connection with an alleged rape case.
Babatola was remanded by a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday after he was arraigned on allegations of rape. The court subsequently ordered that the case file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Reacting to the development, former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Olugboyega Aribisogan, described the arrest as politically motivated and accused operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of adopting questionable methods in detaining the politician.
Aribisogan alleged that opposition politicians in the state were being harassed through what he termed the misuse of police authority. He maintained that while the ADC would not protect anyone found guilty of criminal conduct, security agencies must ensure due process and fairness.
The party further accused security operatives of using fabricated allegations to intimidate opposition members ahead of political activities in the state.
However, the Ekiti State Police Command dismissed the allegations, insisting that Babatola’s prosecution followed a detailed investigation into a complaint lodged by a 30-year-old woman identified as Bukola Oluwaseun.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, the command said the complainant alleged that the suspect forcefully had sexual intercourse with her at a hotel in Ado-Ekiti on May 24, 2026, after both parties reportedly met on social media and agreed to see physically.
The police added that medical examination allegedly confirmed penetration, stressing that the suspect was charged to court after investigations were concluded. The command urged members of the public to disregard claims of political persecution, insisting that the matter remained a criminal case based on evidence obtained during investigation.
