By Theophilus Oliver
On 9 February 2024, Mr Dibiah Stanley Prince filed a formal petition against Miss Kehinde Janet, a 400-level student of English and Literature at the University of Benin. The petition was in response to allegations of rape made against him by Kehinde Janet.
Mr Dibiah firmly denied the allegations, stating that he never coerced or forced Janet into any sexual activity. He asserted that Janet had voluntarily visited his residence on two separate occasions. According to his petition, Janet had expressed a desire to be in a romantic relationship with him, which he declined. He claimed that this rejection led to a conflict between them on 7 February 2025. In his words, “My lack of commitment to a serious relationship with her made her upset.”
Furthermore, he maintained that he never assaulted or harmed Janet in any way. Describing the incident, he stated, “Janet became aggressive, wanting to throw her phone at me in anger,” to which he responded by holding her hand and taking her phone to prevent any harm. He emphasised that Janet left his house of her own accord and was not in any distress. However, he was shocked to later find accusations circulating that he had raped her.
Understanding the potential damage to his reputation, Dibiah reached out to Janet to seek clarification on why she had made such claims. He stated that she initially responded with a voicemail, which she later deleted. Fortunately, he had already saved the message before it was removed.
Initially, he chose to remain silent while investigations were conducted by the National Association of University Students (NAUS) and the Student Union Government (SUG). However, following the conclusion of the inquiry, which found him not guilty, he decided to take legal action for defamation of character.
Dibiah described the ordeal as devastating, stating that his image, career, integrity, and reputation had been tarnished. He expressed his distress over being unfairly accused and insulted by individuals who were unaware of the facts.
In his petition, Dibiah demanded an immediate public apology from Janet, accountability for defamation through appropriate disciplinary action, and an end to public defamation and cyber harassment.
Dibiah concluded his petition by stating that the false accusations had caused significant harm to both his professional and personal standing. As a result, he is seeking justice to restore his reputation.