Breaking: Busola Dakolo to approach a superior court
As the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday threw out the case filed by Photographer, Busola Dakolo against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA).
Photographer, Busola Dakolo has reacted saying that she will ‘approach a superior court to intervene for a better appreciation, and take a more expansive view of the suit considering that the subject matter is one that is novel in our clime.”
“The court ruled that the matter is statute-barred because the events that crystallised to the cause of action took place 16 years ago and that the claimant Mrs. Busola Dakolo has only six years within which to seek redress in court in line with the statute of limitation.
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“We are mindful of the decision as delivered by the court, presided over by the Hon. Justice A.O Musa. We are equally observant of the fact that the Court omitted to address the cause of action, the subject matter of the suit in determining whether it has jurisdiction to entertain the said matter.
“While we acknowledge the time of the court, we know in accordance with the Nigerian judicial system that the Court’s decision is not final as it is glaringly contestable.
“For all intent and purposes, having seen several sponsored misleading news reports in the media, we are duty-bound to state that the court has not and did not exonerate Biodun Fatoyinbo. As it stands, the substance of the matter has not received any judicial attention.
“Biodun Fatoyinbo through his lawyers have only argued that the court should not allow the matter to proceed to trial because it is an event that occurred long ago and hence out of time.
“We shall therefore in this circumstance approach a superior court to intervene for a better appreciation, and take a more expansive view of the suit considering that the subject matter is one that is novel in our clime.”
Fatoyinbo had filed an objection and an affidavit at the Court reiterating that Busola’s statements were false and concocted to embarrass,
He argued that from the inception, she sought the attention of the media and press, and brought the civil action even while the Police’s investigation was ongoing.
According to Justice Oathman A. Musa in her judgment, the matter amounted to injustice, and an abuse of judicial process as the case was empty and purely sentimental, adding that the case was aimed more at cruelty than obtaining justice.
The court also awarded costs of N1,000,000 against Busola Dakolo and held that the fine should have been 10 times more because the court’s time was wasted.
Dakolo had filed the suit against Fatoyinbo after she claimed that the COZA pastor raped her 20 years ago when she was 16 years in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Fatoyinbo denied the allegations and even took a break from the pulpit and later came back to ministration.
