The Lagos police command says it has detained an ARM pensions executive director; Abisola Onigbogi accused of rape by a female employee.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson while confirming his arrest said he is in police custody and that investigations are ongoing.
The employee had called for the arrest of the executive director in a report to the management of the ARM Pensions Managers Limited.
According to the female worker, the director had taken her to a hotel after a team-bonding event in Lagos instead of her house, which was said to be the initial plan.
The victim said she only realised she was in a hotel after waking up and noticed her private parts were sore and bruised and her clothes in a pile.
The staff said she did not consent to being with the director, adding that the last memory she had of the night was at the event.
In an earlier statement, ARM said they were deeply disturbed by the development and are committed to addressing the situation with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity.
The pension management company said it placed the executive director on administrative leave and is fully cooperating with law enforcement to ensure that the investigation is comprehensive and impartial.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with our colleague who has come forward. We want to express our deepest concern and support for her during this tough time,” the statement reads.
“Sexual assault is a grave matter that has no place in our organization and society at large, and we stand firmly against all forms of harassment or violence. The accused employee, an Executive in the Company, has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome. Additionally, we are offering support services to the complainant who has come forward, including counselling and any other resources she may need during this time.”
ARM said it remains committed to fostering a safe and respectful workplace for all employees, with zero tolerance for sexual harassment or assault, and will continuously strive to maintain a culture of integrity and respect.
Read below an account of what the female employee said transpired
My name is Ogochukwu Odogwu (formerly Temitayo-Omotere), 07062276183. I am 36 years of age and I work at ARM Pension as an HR Business Partner. I would like to officially report that I was sexually assaulted i.e. I was abducted and raped by Abisola Onigbogi, ED technical at ARM Pension (08033008238) on the night of July 18, 2024, when we had an office party.
Abisola Onigbogi of ARM Pension, No 5 Mekuwen road, off Oyinkan Abayomi drive, Ikoyi had penetrative sexual intercourse with me, without my consent.
The assault was done at a certain hotel I woke up to find myself at called Limeridge hotel at Chevron drive, Lagos.
On the evening of the office party, just like every other staff member at the party I had food and drinks. I had mixed a small amount of Jameson whiskey and coke. This whiskey bottle was opened by Francisca Azie on the table I was seated at with other colleagues.
However, being part of the planning committee I had to stand up from my table at intervals to coordinate the serving of food and at such times left my drink, food and other personal effects in the care of Damilola Oluyori (07085757685) who is a colleague and one I am very friendly with.
My last memory of the party was at about 7.30/8ish. However, Dami claimed that I mentioned to her that I was tipsy and could not drive. So, she offered to find a way for me to go home and then approached Abisola Onigbogi to drop me off since he lived around the same axis as me. I live at Femi Okunnu Phase 4 estate Jakande Lekki. Along with the Jameson whiskey, which was like ¼ of a plastic cup, I had one cocktail from the bar that is the last I remembered.
I lost total memory of every conversation and activity as my last memory of the night was from 7.30pm. My entire memory was wiped out which was very unusual even for someone who might have drunk excessively which I didn’t and have quite a good alcohol tolerance from precedent. Next thing I know I wake up and realize I am in a room fully undressed. I look around and I realize it was a hotel. I find my clothes in a pile and my wig, my phone and my handbag.
I checked the time it was around 3am and my private parts were sore and felt like someone had invaded me. I walked out of the room, looked around for a clue of the name of the hotel to even have a sense of where I was, I saw the name Limeridge hotel, I googled it and I found that it’s on chevron drive. I ask the receptionist and security man to help me get a taxi so I can go home.
I further checked my whatsapp messages and I saw that Absiola the perpetrator had sent me a message that he was with my laptop bag and ID Card. Damilola had sent me a couple of messages that sounded frantic wanting to know if I was okay and if Abisola dropped me at home. I sent her a message to tell her that I do not understand why my memory is wiped out and it’s unusual.
When it was morning, I tried to call Abisola twice and he didn’t pick up. I messaged him that I’d like to talk to him and shortly after he called me. When he called I asked him how I ended up in a hotel since I was in his car as my colleagues said and he was to drop me at home. He said he asked me for my address and I was incoherent and so he took me to that hotel. I further asked why I was naked when I woke up and he said he didn’t know that he just dropped me and left.
I later spoke to my colleagues Damilola and Odera because I needed to find my car and I was told that my car was safe in the office. Damilola further mentioned that she sent videos of me and her dancing at the party to Abisola as he requested her to. I have no recollection of her making any video except for some pictures we had earlier taken at the start of the party and an 11 seconds video. However she shared videos with me this morning of me and her dancing and another colleague was in the video.
Again my memory is blanked out on this. I messaged Absiola later on Friday morning to ask how I could get my laptop bag and ID card and he said he had given the security guards in the office to put it in my car.
I went back to the hotel that Friday morning after I dropped off my kids at school and I asked to see the CCTV footage to ascertain when he brought me there and if he really just left after dropping me. The receptionist first confirmed that he paid for the hotel room at 22.05, showed me evidence and then went ahead to show me the footage, I was seen leaning on him and he was holding my shoes and a hand on my back guiding me into the hotel and hotel room at about 15.52 and was seen leaving at 17.36. Now this time I am quoting is because the CCTV time in the hotel was not West African time, WAT but the time interval was about 1 hour 45 minutes he was in the hotel room with me.
I called my family and informed them of this. I have had a rape kit test done at Island maternity on Friday. I made a formal report at the Ikoyi Police station on Saturday morning. My private part was bruised and I have been in pain. I have also formally reported to the Head of HR, who is my boss with the MD and another Executive Director in copy. My life has been disrupted badly. I am a single mother with two kids and my mental and physical state has been impacted by this incident and I need to take care and show up for my kids in all of this.
I sent him another message that Friday morning asking why he didn’t ask Dami or any of my other colleagues for my address if truly he had the intention to drop me at my house which he had no response to. I did not remotely have any conversation with Abisola Onigbogi or give any consent to be involved with him in any remotely personal way. He asked me at the party to come sit with him and I refused and sat with my colleagues who I was comfortable with.
He took me against my will, most likely put spiked my drink with the help of someone or by himself and took me to a destination I didn’t know or want to be and raped me. It is beyond sad that I could not be safe at an office function and instead my whole world has been overturned.
I am on some very strong medication given to me at Island maternity, antibiotics and HIV Post exposure prophylaxis and have requested some time from work to recuperate. I believe he is a serial rapist and I might not be the first person he would have done this too.
I am requesting that Lagos state take this case up fully and this predator who has tried to ruin my life and cause me this trauma be persecuted to the full extent of the law, he and whoever aided him.
