The Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, has cautioned against using social media to determine the guilt or innocence of persons accused of rape, stressing that allegations must be subjected to proper investigation and due process.

Babasuyi, a legal practitioner and Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, said an allegation of rape should be treated seriously, but warned that an allegation must not be regarded as a conviction before evidence is examined and tested by the appropriate authorities.

He made the position known in an article titled, “Rape, Reputation and the Court of Public Opinion,” in which he raised concerns over the growing tendency for social media users to reach conclusions on rape allegations before the police investigate or courts determine the facts.

According to him, social media has effectively become a competitor to the courtroom because of its speed in shaping public opinion, but “speed is not the same as truth.”

Babasuyi noted that Nigeria has different legal frameworks governing rape, including the Criminal Code, Penal Code and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, alongside applicable state legislation.

He explained that while the Criminal Code and Penal Code contain provisions traditionally framed around rape committed against women, the VAPP Act uses broader language relating to penetration of “another person” without consent.

The police spokesperson therefore stressed that men can also be victims of rape under the broader formulation of the VAPP Act, urging society not to dismiss or ridicule male victims because of their gender.

“A male victim is still a victim,” he said.

Babasuyi also emphasised that consent should not be assumed simply because two people know each other, are in a relationship or have previously had consensual sexual encounters.

He said previous consent does not amount to permanent consent, adding that an allegation should neither be dismissed nor converted into proof of guilt merely because of the popularity or unpopularity of the persons involved.

On the role of the police, Babasuyi said investigators are responsible for establishing facts rather than manufacturing guilt or innocence.

He listed receiving complaints, protecting complainants, interviewing relevant persons, preserving evidence, examining digital communications, considering available medical or forensic evidence, tracing witnesses and testing competing accounts among the responsibilities involved in investigating such allegations.

He said credible policing required investigators to follow the evidence wherever it led rather than seek to satisfy public opinion.

Babasuyi also acknowledged that social media could help victims speak out, raise public awareness and encourage institutions to take legitimate complaints seriously.

However, he warned that viral posts, videos and screenshots may not provide complete or verified accounts of incidents.

According to him, a person’s fame may cause an allegation to spread further, while the unpopularity of an accused person could make the public accept an allegation too quickly.

He urged the public to shift from asking whose side they were on to asking where the truth lay, stressing the need for patience, empathy without prejudice and respect for due process.

Babasuyi said rape should not be treated as a popularity contest, gender war or social media referendum, but as a serious criminal allegation requiring proper investigation and prosecution where evidence supports it.

He called for a society where victims can report sexual violence without being silenced, male victims can speak without being mocked, and accused persons can defend themselves without being convicted by strangers on social media.

He also urged the police to investigate allegations without being forced to choose between compassion and impartiality, maintaining that justice is best served when there is enough room for the truth to emerge beyond the noise of public opinion.