Q:

Why verb 'followed' is used without preposition 'after'?

Why verb 'followed' is used without preposition 'after'? Can you give another examples with other verbs where time/place prepositions are omited. Is there any grammar rule about that or it is privilege of the verb. 

In Rhode Island, Brown University announced on Monday that it has
  placed Peter Cohen, a fundraising director, on leave. This followed a
  report that Cohen helped cover up Epstein’s connections when he was
  working at the MIT Lab.

A:

Normally "to follow" means "to go after" and is most often used in exactly this context, but there can be other cases of course. Mostly in phrases like "Hey, follow me everyone" or "Will you please follow me to the reception?" we mean "come after/to go after/to proceed after".

"to follow after" is most commonly used in the meanings of "to take the place of/to replace" like in "My son will follow after me once I die" otherwise it may mean "My son will follow in my footsteps".

In some cases "to follow after" means "to look up to be" as in repeat the way of someone or something :

I will follow after God.
She started to follow after Mike and is a vegetarian now.

