MARYLAND: A former judge of Prince George’s County in Maryland, United States, April Ademiluyi, has shared shocking details of how she was drugged and raped by lawyers at a bar association conference and how the experience pushed her into judicial service.
she speaks about her childhood, her career, the corruption she witnessed within the US judicial system, and the hostility she faced after trying to expose it.
I was born in the United States to Nigerian parents from Lagos. My mother raised my siblings and me here in the US. As Nigerians, we faced a lot of cultural discrimination particularly from Black Americans who didn’t accept us as Africans. Interestingly, white Americans were more accepting of our heritage. So, growing up, I mainly associated with other Africans.
Yes, things have changed. With more Africans migrating to the US, the culture has shifted, and Black Americans have become more accepting of us.
But today, discrimination has taken a different form mostly the rising hostility between Blacks and Whites. So, while things may not be worse, they’re certainly different.
I studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland because I was naturally gifted in math and science. Afterwards, I went to George Mason University for law school. My siblings and I gravitated toward subjects we enjoyed without needing direction from our parents.
It wasn’t traditional politics. I ran for judge because of a personal experience, I was a victim of a crime, and despite reporting it, I couldn’t get justice because those involved were wealthy and connected to prosecutors.
That experience made me determined to help fix the two-tier justice system that treats the rich and poor differently.
In 2012, at a bar association conference attended by lawyers, I was drugged and raped by some of the participants. I reported it to the police, and they helped me record a phone conversation with one of the perpetrators he confessed on tape.
But the recording disappeared. It was replaced with another audio where he made no confession. The swapped tape sounded manipulated. That injustice ignited my passion to become a judge.
I ran for judge three times and eventually won. I pledged to challenge the system that allowed corruption particularly allegations that some judges accepted bribes from prison contractors to incarcerate children.
But that promise created tension. From my first day, I met hostility from judges involved in the corruption. They feared I was communicating with the FBI. The harassment continued until I was terminated.
I served for three years and four months. During that time, my emails were monitored and twisted to make me appear biased. They accused me of being biased on rape cases because I was a rape victim. They weaponised my words to paint the wrong picture of my work.
No. Everyone distanced themselves. They didn’t want anyone in the system who could expose corruption or communicate with law enforcement.
Yes. I received harassment letters from a convicted rapist serving a life sentence. A truck with no plates once tried to run me off the road. It was clear someone wanted me silenced. They feared the consequences of being exposed for taking bribes to jail children.
I have a lawsuit, but not to regain my job I would never return after the harassment I endured. I’m now preparing to return to intellectual property work, specifically patent law.
It is frustrating. The US has its own deep problems, corruption, high murder rates, and Christian persecution. With these internal issues, it’s unfair and hypocritical to sanction Nigeria.
Never let anyone convince you that your dreams are impossible. The world is corrupt everywhere. You must stay passionate, keep fighting, and never give up. With perseverance, success will come.
