A document obtained by SaharaReporters confirmed that the police had formally withdrawn the case against Kumar Gaurav.

A former Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Abduyari S. Lafia has accused the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, of obstructing justice in a rape case involving an American citizen and an Indian national.


In a letter dated August 1, 2025, and addressed to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills, Lafia, who was AIG at the time, alleged that IGP Egbetokun intervened to shield a rape suspect, Mr. Kumar Gurav, from prosecution.


The case, according to Lafia, dates back to March 30, 2023, when an American woman, Miss Malory Henry, reported that her colleague, Mr. Kumar Gurav, an Assistant Manager with Olam Rice Nigeria, lured her to his residence in Makurdi, Benue State, where she was allegedly drugged and “brutally raped, including forceful anal penetration without her consent.”



Lafia wrote, “Consequent upon this directive, the Bureau commenced investigation where it was found that both the suspect and the victim were staffs (sic) of Olam Rice Nigeria.”



According to Lafia, “it was further established by medical examination after the suspect was taken into custody that the victim was raped by him.”


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He alleged that Gurav attempted to bribe the investigation team with N100 million to compromise the case. When the offer failed, the suspect allegedly reached out to influential family members of the investigators, but was still resisted.

A prima facie case of rape was established, and Gurav was arraigned on May 12, 2023, at the High Court of Benue State.

According to Lafia, the prosecution presented evidence, including medical reports and pictorial documentation of injuries sustained by the victim.

However, Lafia alleged that once Egbetokun became Inspector-General of Police in June 2023, he “began to show unusual interest in the matter in favor of the suspect.”

The letter stated: “Consequently, on July 17th, 2024, the unthinkable happened where the Prosecutor ASP Edwin Ochayi was ordered by the Commissioner of Police Legal, CP Ehiozoba Ehiede, acting on the directive of IGP Kayode Egbetokun to terminate the case before the court.”

Lafia argued that the case was illegally withdrawn from the High Court under the pretext of a review. The trial judge, Justice T.A. Kume, eventually discharged and acquitted the defendant without him entering a defence.

“This development which aided the Defendant in evading justice is not only a sad commentary on our criminal justice system but a pointer to the impunity in which IGP Kayode Egbetokun runs the Police Force,” Lafia wrote.

Lafia further accused the IGP of victimising officers who resisted attempts to compromise the case. He said Prosecutor Ochayi was transferred to Niger State as punishment, while his own promotion was blocked.

“Instead of commending I and the prosecutor for diligent investigation, prosecution and refusing the bribe sum of 100 Million Naira from the suspect, he set out to victimize us,” Lafia stated.

In closing, Lafia appealed to the U.S. government to take note of the case, stressing his duty to expose the alleged abuse.

“I am constrained to write this petition and draw your attention to this ignoble injustice meted to your citizen (Miss Malory Henry) and the impunity with which it was carried out by IGP Kayode Egbetokun who operates above the law,” he said.

The letter, titled “How IGP Kayode Egbetokun Shielded a Suspect in a Case of Rape Against an American Citizen”, was also copied to the Indian High Commission and the British High Commission.

Police Document Confirms Case Withdrawal

A document obtained by SaharaReporters confirmed that the police had formally withdrawn the case against Kumar Gaurav.

According to a wireless message dated July 7, 2024, and issued from the office of the Commissioner of Police (Legal), Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, the Inspector-General of Police directed that the charge against Gaurav in suit number MHC/42C/2023 be withdrawn.

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The message, addressed to Superintendent Ochayi Edwin, ordered him to discontinue the case and hand over the case file to Superintendent Gabriel Francis for further handling and reporting. It emphasised that the directive was to be treated as “important” and executed immediately.

Lafia Dismissed From Service

Meanwhile, a senior police officer confirmed that Lafia has been dismissed from the Force, but SaharaReporters could not independently confirm the date. His dismissal followed an indefinite suspension on January 9, 2025, which also resulted in the immediate stoppage of his salary.

SaharaReporters gathered that the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and some members of his team had been the subject of a petition filed by Lagos-based lawyer Victor Ukut, dated April 30, 2024. The petition, which was recently revived by police authorities, was allegedly used as grounds to punish the senior officer.

Abduyari and his team were accused of stealing N692 million from the bank accounts of Woobs Resources Limited, domiciled with Fidelity Bank Plc.

Medical Tests Detect Drugs In Both Alleged Rapist And Victim


Documents obtained by SaharaReporters also included medical reports for both the complainant and the accused.

According to the medical report on the 25-year-old female accuser, she presented at the hospital on April 14, 2023, alleging that she had been raped about two weeks earlier by her colleague, Kumar Gaurav, during a work trip to Makurdi. She said she passed out after consuming cocktails prepared by him and later woke up to find him penetrating her.

Examination showed bruises on her lip, ear, and neck, with scars in her groin area and injuries around the vagina consistent with forced sexual activity. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a drug commonly linked to drug-facilitated assaults. The medical director concluded with an impression of drug-facilitated rape.

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In a separate medical report for Gaurav, who was also examined on April 14, 2023, he denied any sexual contact with his colleague. He claimed she requested alcohol, and after consuming cocktails, became intoxicated and vomited, forcing him to let her rest in his bedroom while he slept in the living room. He insisted he only checked on her later and found she had vomited again.

Despite his denial, doctors noted that tests and evidence collected from both parties led to the impression of drug-facilitated rape, pending further investigations and repeat tests.

The report also confirmed the presence of MDMA in his blood.

Henry’s Lawyers Petition Benue AG, Seek Reopening Of Case Withdrawn By IGP

In a letter dated November 26, 2024, and obtained by SaharaReporters, Ms. Henry’s legal representatives, Kenna Partners, formally petitioned the Benue State Attorney General, Mr. Hyacinth Alla, to intervene in the stalled case.

The law firm argued that “given the gravity of the allegations and the emotional trauma our client went through, it is necessary for the matter to be heard on the merit and substantial justice done, as this will reinforce public confidence in the criminal justice system.”

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The petition recounted that Ms. Henry, an American citizen working in Nigeria, accused her colleague Kumar Gaurav of raping her in Makurdi on March 30, 2023, after he allegedly got her intoxicated during a dinner invitation.

The case, initially filed as IGP v Kumar Gaurav (Charge No: MHC/42C/2023) before Justice T.A. Kume of the Benue State High Court, had progressed to the point where the judge dismissed a no-case submission and ordered the defendant to open his defence.

However, before Gaurav could enter his defence, he petitioned the Inspector General of Police, who then ordered the withdrawal of the case for further investigation. On July 26, 2024, the prosecutor informed the court of the IGP’s directive, effectively halting proceedings.

Kenna Partners described the withdrawal as “sudden and unjustifiable,” insisting it denied the complainant justice and prolonged her trauma. The firm urged the Attorney General to recall the case file from the police, review the matter, and, if warranted, refile charges to ensure the accused is held accountable under the law.