Lawn Tennis coach accused of raping athletes arrested

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO

The Police in Osun State have reportedly arrested a lawn tennis coach, Yinka Akinrinade, for allegedly raping two of his trainees during a tennis competition they participated in, in Lagos State.

The Point has reported that one of the two victims, aged 13, was said to be Akinrinade’s daughter (name withheld).

The other victim is a 14-year-old girl (name withheld). Unfortunately, she got pregnant after the alleged act.

It was gathered that the duo are athletes under the coach’s supervision and that the two girls were allegedly defiled on the same day when they went for a tennis competition in Lagos State in September last year.

According to findings, the 14-year-old trainee was confirmed pregnant a month after the incident.

Meanwhile, Akinrinade did not deny or confirm raping the young girls because, according to him, he was under the influence of alcohol when the incidents happened.

The coach, it was gathered, was arrested and detained at Dada Estate Police Station, Osogbo.

The Point also learned that the parents of the victim were also invited by the police to write a statement.

After The Point’s report, the Osun State Sports Council was said to have issued the coach a query of which he had reportedly replied to.

Sources said the Council had already prepared Akinrinade’s suspension letter.

The father of the pregnant teenage girl, Muniru Iwalewa, said about eight of Akinrinade’s family members besieged his house to plead on behalf of the suspect.

Iwalewa said, “The coach has been arrested and detained at the Police station in Dada Estate. Some of his family members just left my place to plead on his behalf. But I told them the matter is now with the state government.”