Nollywood actress and media personality, Omotunde Adebowale-David, popularly known as Lolo 1, has revealed that she was raped by a male colleague in the broadcast industry six years ago.
Speaking on her podcast, Say My Piece, Lolo 1 made the emotional disclosure while explaining why she has chosen not to name her attacker. According to her, doing so now might lead to public criticism, with people questioning why she didn’t speak up earlier.
“I have been raped only once in my life, and a colleague raped me,” she said. “I see him every other day. Do you know how traumatised I am? When I see him, I just get into this momentary panic.”
Lolo, who co-anchors Jasiri, the breakfast show on News Central TV, added that the emotional impact of the assault still lingers. She shared how discussing the experience with her daughter brought both pain and reflection.
“She held my hand and said, ‘Mummy, you’ve gone through so much,’” Lolo recounted. “And I said I had.”
While she refrained from revealing the identity of the man, Lolo described him as an “established person in the broadcast industry” who currently holds a prominent TV position.
“If a woman of my calibre named him… won’t people say, ‘How come I didn’t speak about it for all these six years?’” she asked, pointing to the societal pressures and stigma often faced by survivors.
She also emphasized the psychological complexities women endure after sexual assault, including denial, fear, and self-blame, which often prevent victims from coming forward immediately.
Her revelation adds to the ongoing conversation about sexual abuse in Nigeria’s entertainment and media industries, where survivors continue to advocate for safer, more accountable environments.
