Michael Ifeanyichukwu Ogbodo, an Enugu-based pharmacist, web developer, writer and digital creator, has come under heavy criticism after making comments many social media users say trivialise sexual assault while reacting to the rape allegations involving influencer Odogwu Asaba.
Ogbodo, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), describes himself on his Facebook profile as someone building “a community of valued learners.” He is also the author of And Every Good Memory.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Ogbodo argued that many men condemning the embattled influencer had themselves forced women into sex at some point. 
“As a guy, if you have never forced a girl before, be the first to throw a stone,” he wrote, adding that many of those criticising Odogwu Asaba were merely fortunate that the women involved had never spoken out against them.
He further claimed that some men had “torn our girls’ clothes many times, made love and still live as if nothing has happened.”
Ogbodo also suggested that men should pray for divine protection in their dealings with women because, according to him, a woman could willingly enter a situation and later use it against a man.
Referring to the controversy, he alleged that “greed” led the young woman to visit a hotel room in search of help, before adding that he was “not in support of rape and will never be.”
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The post drew swift condemnation, with many social media users accusing him of normalising sexual violence, shifting responsibility from perpetrators to victims and reinforcing harmful misconceptions about consent.
Critics also argued that his disclaimer was fundamentally at odds with the rest of his post, stressing that any sexual act obtained through force, intimidation or coercion is rape, regardless of any subsequent qualification.
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The backlash comes amid sustained public debate over the allegations against Odogwu Asaba, with many Nigerians reiterating that consent must be freely and voluntarily given and cannot be presumed, pressured or coerced. Calls for accountability have continued to grow as conversations about sexual violence and victim-blaming intensify across social media.
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