Miss Philip Dorcas, 22 recently accused the Special Adviser on Aviation to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Mr. Aboh Solomon Akongfe of scamming and raping her.
According to Miss Dorcas, Mr. Aboh, who is the CEO of Asolox Travels where she worked at some point in time, defrauded her to the tune of over N25,000 in the pretext of helping her, access a Federal Government facility.
Aboh, who is reportedly a distant relative of the Governor has since denied the allegations bordering on battering, scam and rape.
This edition of Weekend File sheds light on the allegations and counter allegations.
He Promised Me A Job At Cally Air Which Never Came, Scammed And Raped Me – 22 Years Miss Philip Dorcas
Narrating her ordeal to Weekend File, she said they met in 2019 at Lagos, around September, “I introduced my fertilizer business to him because I felt he has contact to reach to large farmers that can need supply. In February 2020 I spoke to him again and explained the details, he invited me that February for a presentation to a Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Agriculture. There I met two people who were interested, but when I went back before they could place orders there was lockdown. That supply was delayed but that is how we met.
“During the lockdown he had told me about his Cally Air project and that he would like me to work with him that, he likes my marketing strength … he promised me a job. By September he called me that he want to apply for one Federal Government facility for me … I had intention of having a small poultry of my own then, so he told me to come down to Abuja. But that one couldn’t work, I couldn’t make it.”
She went on adding that, “Later on he asked me to come to Calabar that he will help me to get facility for N5m for any kind of business I would like to establish. I arrived Calabar on 1st September, 2020, while I was staying there the stuff (Cally Air job) was delayed, he scammed me by collecting money from the little one I had – he collected over N25, 000 from me in total on different occssion. He gave me accommodation in a hotel (Michelle suite) Asari Eso, Calabar Municipality where he said the suite is a quarters for his staff, it’s a very big one.
“He said he would like me to work for his company, Asolox before the Cally Air project start … because the Cally Air project delayed, he was expecting the aircraft to come November/December, he said I should work in his private company which is a travel agency (Asolox) pending when operations will commence on Cally Air. All the while I was working with him he hasn’t paid me, the pay was supposed to be N50, 000 per month.”
Sexual Advancement And Assault
The 22 years old Delta State indigene during this interview with Weekend File recounted the advances from her boss. According to her, “The staff quarters is a two bedroom suite, I have my room and he has his, but he has access to my room because of the center door between us through the sitting room, he took the key of that one.
“He started disturbing me a lot late September, I refused all his advances because he is a married man, but since I came I have not seen him travel to his family, it’s my right to say yes or no and I said no severally. One faithful day, he came back very early and was drunk, he vomited and messed up everywhere, I was the one that cleaned him up, cleaned his room and took him to his bed and came back to my bed thinking he has gone to sleep.
“But, he came back to my room that very night and forcefully (paused for 8 seconds) raped me, slept with me. I decided to do a video of him after everything because he was drunk, I showed him the video the next day. He said if I do anything he will kick me out that I know I don’t have anybody there (Cross River State).
“I let that one go thinking it will stop, but it kept on happening over and over again. I resisted severally, I even moved to the room down stairs so that he won’t have access to me. He became angry with me. Whenever he sees me talking to those boys in charge of the place he gets really angry like … the first time he beat me up he broke my ankle on the 21st of December, 2020, he beat me up and injured me in my hand, lap and even my breast area, he really injured me with belt.
“The second battering where he broke my head was on the 28th December, 2020, in the afternoon. I was standing outside with one of those boys … he beat me up and broke my head with bottle, I struggled and ran out in pool of blood. I reached out for help from one his Pastor friend who rushed me to the hospital where my head was stitched and medication was administered.
“The matter was reported at State Housing Police station with the help of Civil Defense officer. I wrote my statement, even that very day, hmm God, that very day when I left the station I think they gave him information from the Police station because, since the incident happened that I left the house I’ve not returned, Monday and Tuesday I slept in the Pastor’s place. It was that Tuesday I went to the Police station to write my statement where I was asked to get a medical report. From there, he blocked me on the road with his friend in a tinted car, they wanted to carry me off but I was smart to have shouted that I don’t know them … people came out and I ran away.”
She said she want justice that her life is under threat.
All Their Claims Are False, I Have A Judgment To That, They’re Hurting God – Mr. Aboh Solomon Akongfe
After several failed attempts to reach the SA Aviation to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Mr. Aboh Solomon Akongfe, a final trial was made and was successful, he said he is in court already and has a judgment on defamation of character.
His words: “Like I told you I didn’t bring anybody to Calabar for a job and I did not have anything to do with somebody in respect to what they claim. This particular person works for Asolox Travels Nigeria Limited which is my company and she is been put on payroll. She was asking for N200, 000 and actually this period of COVID-19 there is no money.
“The lady went out and hurt herself, put a lot of pictures on the internet, I have sued the persons who are putting all of those issues in the internet, and the matter is with the Commissioner of Police. The human rights are involved in this issue and they came to know that all their claims are all false. So there is judgment to that. Like I said, I have nothing to do with her when it comes to what they put up in the social media.”
When asked for clarity on the judgment, he said, “I have told you that there is a judement to that effect and I have already sued the Civil Defense guy who brought that to the social media and I have even sued the Dorcas herself because that is defamation of character in the highest order.
“We have a payroll of salaries signed and collected, if you want me to send it to you I can send it to you but I keep those information for my legal team because I don’t want a situation whereby a lone child will wake up because she is on the social media … but like I said, I have all the details of her signed and collected salaries for three months. I took her on the survival payroll as well for the company, she is even in Federal Government survival funds, so I don’t want to be drawn to talking too much on this issue because I have asked the legal team to do their work.”
Not satisfied, Weekend File asked to get the contact of his lawyer to get clearer explanation of the said judgment; when they went to court, which court and what they prayed of the court, his countenance changed from friendly to unfriendly as he said, “I can’t link you to my lawyer, please I cannot.
“But like I said if you want to have the evidence of money signed and collected, bank statements that money were sent to a particular claimer you will find out that all the stories you had and all these you guys falsely got from social media are all false. At first, they said she came to work for Cally Air, second, they said I raped her and had sexual whatever with her; all of those things are totally wrong, we are living in a country where people believe in blackmail, cheap talking, mischief makers for their own stomach infrastructure; I’m not somebody who believe in those things.
“I told that small girl (Dorcas), I said you are hurting God with me because you don’t know how spiritual I am; she is hurting God with lies and all of that. You know people who comes from Delta, their own aim is money and when you don’t give them money they go extra mile to cheat up. That story is going to die a natural death because I have already approached the appropriate quarters, I have seek legal agents. She can’t do it to another person.
“I told you the person in question said she came to work for Cally Air, the person in question said I brought her from Lagos to come and work for Cally Air, we don’t have anything like Cally Air right now. I have a company before I joined Government; I joined Government as an entrepreneur, I have my company, I have a lot of things I do before coming into Government.
“… And then you have a staff who is working for your company who demanded that you give her N200, 000 to go for Christmas and I said that can never be done during this COVID-19 era, we all know what happened in 2020 which we have all put behind us and moving forward and then she now went and met somebody who is from her place; I don’t know what happened she hurt herself, put all of those stuffs on the social media to get the attention.
“So, like I said, I am someone who believes in the truth and the truth shall set everybody free, whether you are a Journalist or you are a Public Servant, businessman, whatever you are doing, do it well. I didn’t want to go extra miles to sue them but I had to do that, to get a judgment because you know in life politically, economically, religiously, ethnically and other areas I involve myself I believe in God. I don’t want to give attention to nobody and the thing will die a natural death because all the cooked stories and all of that are actually false.
“Like I said, the person in question had given all of you wrong information, wrong allegation so that is why I had to seek legal research. There is no iota of truth in all the allegations that girl has made. Right from day one, let me tell you something, in this life you see, we use somebody as an escape goat so that all these slanders, cheap talks, blackmailing, running mouths or going to social media to see how you can bring somebody down will end, I call it pull him down syndrome in this country.
“In Cross River State, we don’t believe in doing our own, we chuck our heads in somebody’s business and we don’t even wants to know the truth and whatever happens everybody takes it to be the truth. I am so happy with you because your interest is to hear my own side of the story, that’s why I’m talking to you.”
We Are Writing A Petition To The Police, We Condemn The Act – Comrade Harrison Gwamnishu, DG Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation
When contacted by Weekend File, Comrade Harrison Gwamnishu, Director General of Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation, the NGO spareheading the crusade for justice for Philip Dorcas, he said the act is bad in totality.
According to him, “We received a complaint from lawyer from Cross River State, and we started our investigation and discovered that she was lured to Cross River State on a promise to get her a job by Solomon Akongfe. We got in touch with the Police and we were assured that he will not evade justice.
“But from what we got, we discovered the Police was not following up the matter as they ought to, they never arrested him or took him to custody. They were asking her to return back to Lagos, that they should give her money to return back to Lagos, and she refused that she needed justice.
“She said in the apartment he gave her, he will be coming to her room to sexually harass her and one day he penetrated forcefully without consent. So in that process she got an evidence (video). She got tired, decided it’s time to go home, she asked that she be paid for the period she had worked and that bought her maiming on several occasion, till date she hasn’t being paid.
“We condemn this act, we called him he denied and said she injured herself, that he has never harassed her sexually. Beyond social media we are writing a petition to the Commissioner of Police and we urge them to do their job.”
I Am Yet To Be Briefed On The Matter, Call Me Back On Monday – Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo
When contacted for update on the investigation so far by the Police, the Cross River State Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo said she is yet to be briefed.
She asked Weekend File to call back on Monday for full details.
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