I was raped by a colleague 6 years ago – OAP Lolo 1

Nollywood actress and media personality, Omotunde Adebowale-David, also known as Lolo 1, has revealed that she was raped by a male colleague in the broadcast industry six years ago.

The media personality made the claim on her podcast, Say My Piece. While not naming her attacker, Lolo explained that doing so now will only make people criticise her for not speaking out when it happened six years ago and instead waited until the person became established in the industry.

The actress said she is still traumatised by the attack six years later, noting that she goes into a momentary panic whenever she sees her attacker; something she says happens ‘every other day’.

“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 a colleague raped me. 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?’

Lolo added that women often respond to sexual assault with denial and self-blaming, highlighting the complexities of trauma and recovery.