Nigerian media personality and actress Omotunde Adebowale-David, also known as Lolo 1, has shared her traumatic experience of sexual assault by a male colleague in the broadcasting industry.
Lolo revealed that she was raped by a colleague, an ordeal that left her traumatised. In a recent episode of the ‘Say My Piece’ podcast, which she co-hosts, the actress mentioned that she cannot provide many details about the incident due to concerns that she might be criticised for not speaking out sooner.
She said: “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.
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 traumatised I am? When I see him, I just get into this momentary panic.
But 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?
When sexual assault happens to women, the first thing to happen is denial. The next thing is self-blaming.
