The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has urged victims and survivors to come forward with information following the arrest of an e-hailing driver accused of multiple cases of rape, assault, and robbery targeting women across the state.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the agency confirmed it is working with the Lagos State Police Command to strengthen the ongoing investigation and ensure justice for the victims after the arrest of the suspect, identified as Adedayo Adegbola.
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The DSVA commended the police for what it described as “swift and diligent efforts” in apprehending the suspect and appealed to other possible victims to reach out through its official channels.
“The agency is working closely with the police to ensure that justice is served, and to strengthen the ongoing investigation and expand the body of substantial evidence,” the DSVA said.
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“We are calling on other victims or survivors who may have been assaulted by the suspect to please come forward.”
The agency assured that all reports will be treated with strict confidentiality, and survivors will receive psychosocial and legal support.
Police confirm arrest, recover vehicle
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the arrest of Mr Adegbola on 31 October, following a discreet investigation ordered by Commissioner of Police Olohudare Jimoh, after several viral posts by alleged victims identified him online.
Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi said detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, arrested the suspect at about 9:40 a.m. and recovered a red Toyota Corolla with registration number JJJ 226 HT, believed to have been used in the attacks.
“Crack detectives of the SCID have arrested one Adedayo Ben Adegbola, identified by some of the victims as the driver whose picture appeared in viral online posts,” Ms Adebisi said in a post on X.
“He is linked to multiple cases of rape, defilement, assault occasioning harm, indecent assault, and armed robberies targeting female passengers in parts of Lagos.”
The police said the suspect remains in custody while efforts continue to trace his accomplices. The recovered vehicle has been secured as evidence.
Mr Jimoh reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents and ensuring justice for survivors.
How it started
Public attention to the case first grew in April, when Punch Newspaper reported multiple accounts by women who accused a driver known by aliases such as Femi, Benjamin, and Samuel of serially robbing and sexually assaulting female passengers.
Victims said the driver often preyed on stranded or late-night commuters, locking them inside his car and threatening them with a gun, knife, or acid.
One victim, Mary Okene, a digital marketer, said she and a colleague were robbed around 5 a.m. on 5 April, after the suspect offered them a ride when their booked cab had an accident near Civic Centre, Victoria Island.
“When we got to the Third Mainland Bridge, he parked, brought out a knife, and told us to bring our bags,” Ms Okene recalled.
“He said he preys on sex workers because they did something crazy to him. He slapped me and tried to assault us before taking our phones and money.”
Ms Okene said the suspect robbed them of about N100,000 and other valuables. When she reported the case at Ifako Police Station, an officer reportedly exclaimed, “This man again!”
Other victims speak
Another victim, Isi, narrated to Punch a similar experience he had on 26 January 2024, when a driver she met on an e-hailing platform turned violent after she rejected his advances during a trip from Ikeja City Mall to Berger.
“He brought out a dagger and gave me three hot slaps,” she said. “He strangled me, robbed me of my iPhone and money, and dumped me naked by the roadside.”
Two friends, Temi and Rachel, also told the newspaper that the same driver, sometimes working with an accomplice, robbed them at gunpoint on the Third Mainland Bridge.
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Punch also reported that event hostess, Peculiar Daniels, said she and her friends were attacked in October 2024, adding that the suspect pulled a gun, knife, and acid, and demanded cash and phones before escaping with over N100,000 worth of valuables.
Another victim, Victoria, said she was robbed near Omole and suffered lasting trauma from the ordeal.
When Punch first reported the assaults, the then police spokesperson in Lagos State Benjamin Hundeyin said the suspect was already in NDLEA custody on a drug-related case.
However, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi later clarified that the person in their custody was a look-alike, not the same man.
“The women could not confirm he was the person when he was brought before them,” Babafemi said. “It was clear the real suspect was still on the loose.”
The renewed public outcry in October and viral posts from victims eventually led detectives to track and arrest Mr Adegbola last week.
A growing pattern of gender-based violence
The case adds to a growing pattern of gender-based violence in Lagos. Between August 2024 and July, Lagos State recorded 3,685 cases.
The breakdown of the figures shows 243 cases of defilement, 244 cases of child abuse and physical assault, 99 cases of rape, 48 cases of sexual harassment, and 25 cases of sexual assault by penetration.
Authorities have urged survivors to report incidents early and assured them of support through the state’s Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and Toll-Free Line 0-8000-333-333.
