Barbaric Police: Condemnation Galore Over Cell Rape Of Polytechnic Girl
There has been outrage from Nigerians both home and abroad since Tuesday when P.M.NEWS published the story of a polytechnic student who was tortured and raped inside a police cell in Lagos.
Miss Shakirat Dupe Olanrewaju, a 25-year old student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, was allegedly detained, tortured and raped by five policemen at the Pako Police Station, Safejo, Amukoko, a suburb of Lagos State because she complained about the shoddy handling of her complaint to the policemen.
The policemen were said to have demanded sex from her as a condition to properly investigate her complaint. She said her refusal led to an altercation between her and the policemen who detained her and raped her in turn over night until she lost consciousness.
As outrage over the incident spreads, the policemen have mounted a manhunt to get her arrested.
P.M.NEWS learnt that the policemen have combed the hospitals and hotels in the area with a view to arresting the lady who they plan to charge to court.
However, her family have contacted the Office of Public Defender, OPD, and with the assistance of a lawyer, they plan to institute a N200 million suit against the police for the alleged unlawful detention, torture and rape of Shakirat while she was in a police cell.
Some Nigerians in their reaction suggested that the police officers should be castrated, others urged well meaning non-government organisations to come to Miss Olanrewaju’s aid.
One of such NGOs that have decided to fight for the victim, Network On Police Reform In Nigeria (NOPRIN), has written to the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Alkali, to produce the police officers who carried out the act the organisation described as barbaric.
According to the NGO, which has 46 civil society groups under its umbrella, it was disturbed by the chilling news of the alleged unlawful detention, gang-rape and torture of the student.
“NOPRIN hereby requests the CP Lagos to direct the DPO of the station to promptly investigate this act of gross misconduct with a view to dismissing the policemen involved and arraigning them for trial if they are indicted.
“Police authorities should also ensure that the victim gets adequate medical treatment and counseling, at the police expense,†the NGO said in a letter signed by the organisation’s Programme Coordinator, Okechukwu Nwanguma.
It also stressed that since the police are liable for any offence committed by their personnel, it should ensure that adequate compensation is paid to the victim.
“NOPRIN is standing by to institute a legal action against the police if they fail to ensure justice in this matter,†it emphasised.
The NGO reminded the commissioner that the act has further dragged the image of the police in the mud just as it has given the public more reason not to trust the police.
“They have become predators rather than protectors.
“The action of the five policemen constitutes a violent violation of the lady’s right to liberty, physical safety, psychological integrity and human dignity.
“All the policemen found to be responsible for this heinous crime must be fished out, made to undergo orderly room trial, dismissed and arraigned for trial in court for their various offences.
“They belong to the zoo and must be jailed as deterrent to others like them.â€
The victim or her relatives have also been advised to call on Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre for assistance or call 08055951858.
The NGO is located at 9, Amore Street, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
The police have several times been accused of barbaric acts against those they are supposed to look after.
On 28 May, 2006, Iro Yar’Adua, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), an officer in charge of the Kugbo Police Post under Karu Divisional Headquarters in Abuja, allegedly took a 13-year old girl, earlier detained on his orders, home and forcefully had sex with her all through the night.
In Onicha Ugbo, Delta State, a teenager was allegedly arrested by the police on her way to fetch firewood following a complaint by her mother’s estranged friend. Inside the cell, she was raped by the police officer on duty.
The culprit was defended by the Delta Police spokesman, Charles Muka, who said time had taken the case.
Some years ago, a Nigerian who returned from abroad and decided to stay the night at Akinpelu Police Station in Oshodi for safety reasons, was allegedly killed and the dollars he came with stolen from him by the same police who in he thought would provide him temporary shelter since he arrived the country late.
The police would have swept the matter under the carpet if not that the victim had told fmily members on phone that he was staying the night at the station.
—Eromosele Ebhomele & Cyriacus Izuekwe
Comments