Popular Nigerian actress and media personality, Omotunde Adebowale-David, widely known as Lolo 1, has revealed that she was raped by a male colleague in the broadcasting industry, Okay.ng reports.
The revelation came during an emotional episode of her podcast Say My Piece, which was posted on YouTube on Friday.
In her deeply personal account, Lolo 1 described the lasting trauma caused by the assault, stating that even years later, she experiences panic attacks when she sees her alleged rapist, who remains active and prominent in the industry.
“I hardly ever say this, and I am not even ready to tell the full story. The stories of sexual assault. When I discussed it with my daughter yesterday, she held my hand and said, ‘Mummy, you’ve gone through so much.’ And I said I had,” she said.
“I remember how many of those things I have to relive. I have been raped only once in my life, and I was raped by a colleague. I see him every other day. Do you know how traumatized I am? When I see him, I just get into this momentary panic.”
Lolo 1 explained that one of the reasons she has remained silent until now is the fear of public backlash, especially because the man in question has since taken up a highly visible role in the media industry.
“If a woman of my calibre named him — he’s an established person in the broadcast industry — won’t people say, ‘How come I didn’t speak about it for all these six years until now that he’s taking a prominent TV position?’” she asked.
She went on to describe how survivors of sexual violence often face denial and self-blame, which can delay their ability to speak up or seek justice.
“When sexual assault happens to women, the first thing to happen is denial. The next thing is self-blaming,” she said.
