An Islamic cleric in Osun State, Habeebulah Abdulrahman, (popularly known as Al-Edewy), has been accused of raping a 16-year-old female student of his Islamic school.

In response, Mr Abdulrahman said that the teenager is his wife and he had the right to have sexual intercourse with her.

The victim, born in 2003, lost her dad at a young age but stays with her mother in Ede, a town in Osun State. She recently completed her junior secondary education in the town.

investigation revealed that the cleric, in January, invited the girl to join his Islamic class not far from her house, for proper Qur'anic teachings. The girl yielded with the consent of her mum.

But the Islamic scholar after a while requested her hand in marriage. The girl on several occasions rejected the proposal but Mr Abdulrahman persisted until he raped her.

This newspaper gathered that he gave the victim several gifts with the motive of luring her into marriage, but when confronted he claimed he was only supporting because she has no father.

How it happened

On April 18, the scholar travelled to Ilaro in Ogun State for an Islamic lecture alongside the girl and two other male students.

While the two male students were lodged in a separate room, Mr Abdulrahman booked a single room for himself and the girl. He attempted sexual intercourse with the girl but she raised an alarm and got the attention of the hotel's receptionist, she said.

The girl claimed he eventually raped her that night.


On their way back to Osun State, Mr Abdulrahman visited his relatives in Abeokuta, where he again allegedly raped the teenager.

According to the teenager, at Abeokuta, he forced himself on her in the absence of the two male students and the scholar's relatives.