Papaya Ex calls out Ajah police DPO over alleged assault

Nigerian media personality Abike Halima Raheem, popularly known as Papaya Ex, has called out the DPO in charge of Ajah police command over her alleged assault case.

The influencer on her Instagram page on Tuesday, claimed that the police command was trying to bury the case and deny her of justice. She explained that she wrote a statement at their station despite being shaken and confused after the incident, but is being accused of kidnapping the officers in question.

”Mr. Femi Akinpeloye. On the 20th of February, your officers assaulted me. I was at Ajah Police Station from 1am until about 10:30am the next morning. I was tired, shaken and confused, but I still cooperated. You asked me to write my statement , I did. Before you even arrived, the officer who first assaulted me came to meet me and said I shouldn’t be angry. When I was leaving around 10:30am, he came again and said he didn’t know I was “Papaya Ex,” that he didn’t know I was popular. So how on earth did I boast about being papaya ex or knowing their bosses as claimed.
So If I wasn’t popular, would this have been buried completely?,” she questioned.

Papaya explained that although the Commissioner of Police got involved in the case, the DPO made false claims about her, stating that she cut her own face. She, however, explained that her face is one of the major parts of her work as a beauty influencer, stressing that she would never harm herself in such manner.

The Commissioner of Police called that morning and asked me to come see him on Monday. I was at station from around 11am till 7pm. He came and asked you why you didn’t handle it well earlier, you told the Commissioner later that I was not at your station that you waited for me. We both know I waited for you. You claimed I kidnapped your officers. You claimed I cut my own face to lie. Three grown men assaulted me. One used a gun to hit me in the face. And your response was that I scratched myself? Should injustice be forgotten?. My face is part of my work as a beauty, lifestyle and travel influencer.  It is what I use to earn a living. Why would I damage myself just to lie? What do I gain from pain? From trauma? From sleepless nights?,” she added.

Papaya called for justice and transparency over her case, urging the police command to be truthful.

”I am not fighting the government. I am not fighting the Commissioner or the Deputy. They listened. They showed concern. I appreciate that. I am fighting for the truth. Mr. Femi, please help shed light, I am calling for an independent and transparent investigation. I want justice. Nothing more. Let’s not change the story. Let’s not protect wrongdoing. Why protect brutality?. Why silence the victim?, Why twist the narrative?. Nigerians, I am begging you , I will keep talking about this 10 years to come if this isn’t handled properly. I am somebody’s child. My mother cannot sleep because I cannot sleep. She’s tensed, she’s worried, she’s old, she shouldn’t be going through this too. All I am asking for is justice,” she expressed.