A 31-year-old cook, Idowu Akinwunmi, has narrated how the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Onikan Station, SP Adekunle Awe, allegedly raped, extorted and threatened her life.
The victim told newsmen that the incident occurred on April 15, 2014.
She explained that on April 14 she was arrested by the police for “spurious” reasons.
She said, “I work at an eatery on Keffi Street, Obalende, as a cook. The eatery also has a tailor’s shop in the compound and it belongs to the same person. There is also a quarters where we all live in the compound.
“Most of the workers are from Cotonou, Benin Republic. On Monday, a popular customer, known as Friday, came to eat. He later left, but some moments later, he returned to say he could not get a bus home.
“Friday had been making advances at me, but we were not a couple. I allowed him to sleep over.”
Akinwunmi said around 1am, her boss, who discovered that someone was sleeping over, called the police to arrest her and Friday.
She said two other people, who slept over at the tailors’ quarters were also rounded up.
She said, “My madam called policemen to arrest all of us. I had only a pair of shorts, a shirt and a wrapper on. I had N11, 000 in my pocket and my phone was not with me. On getting to the station, I got the phone of a policewoman and used it to call one of the tailors to come and help.
“In the morning of Tuesday, two tailors, Ben and Matthias, arrived to bail out their friends, but they were also arrested, bringing our total number to six.”
The victim said a few hours later, she felt sticky and pleaded with a policewoman on duty to allow her have a bath.
She said she could not use the shower because it was too filthy, adding that on her way out, she met the DPO for the first time.
She said, “I met the DPO along the corridor. He asked me what happened and I explained everything to him.
“Around 10pm on Tuesday, the DPO sent a policeman to call Friday and I. I was wearing boxers and a top. I stayed at the counter and Friday went in to see the DPO. A few minutes later, Friday came out and the DPO called me in.
“The DPO said he could make sure that I spent the rest of my life in jail, but I begged him. He then came close to me and started rubbing his hands all over my body but I rejected his advances.
“He said my boss had told him that he could do whatever he wanted to do with me. He said since I was from Benin Republic, if he killed me, nothing would happen.
“He said he would also make sure that the remaining five suspects would be sent to prison. At this point, the DPO had already taken off his clothes. Since I was afraid for my life, I allowed the DPO to have his way.
“I begged him to use a condom, but he refused. He pushed me to a smaller room in his office and put me on the bed and had sex with me. Immediately after he had finished, he told me to shower in a bathroom inside his office.”
The mother of two revealed that the DPO promised to ensure that she was released the next morning and ordered a policeman to take her back into the cell.
Akinwunmi said when she returned to the cell, she cried through the night. She said the following morning, she told some female police officers about the incident.
She said when her people came to bail her from the station, the DPO asked one Inspector Taiwo to bring her to his office.
“The DPO gave me his telephone number and asked for mine, but I didn’t give it to him. He then said I could leave and promised that no one would collect bail money from us. However, on getting to the counter, the policemen on duty collected N30, 000 from us,” she said.
Our correspondent learnt that the victim immediately went to the Lagos Island Maternity Clinic to do a test.
A copy of the medical report, signed by one Dr. R. A. Seriki, stated, “A complaint of sexual assault: General clinical condition satisfactory; no laceration, no bruises, no areas of hyperemia, negative for HIV 1 and 2, pregnancy negative. Has been placed on PEP and emergency contraception.”
The matter was said to have been reported at the Area A Police Command, Lion Building, after which the Area Commander, ACP Imohimi Edgal, invited the victim for interrogation.
The matter had been transferred to the office of the Commissioner of Police.
The Director, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwumah, urged the police to handle the matter seriously.
She said, “The fact that there were no bruises does not mean that rape did not occur. The moment there is a direct threat to life on the condition of sex, the offence is rape. It is unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission over the alleged rape of Akinwunmi.
The petition, dated April 16 2014 and signed by NOPRIN’s National Coordinator, Mr. Okechukwu Nwagunma, read in part, “We were informed that she (Akinwunmi) was detained in the cell…
“She said that Awe forcefully had carnal knowledge of her without protection after which he threatened to send her to prison.”
The petition added that Akinwunmi was released after some policemen at the Onikan police station had extorted money from her.
It was gathered that the Police Service Commission had received copies of the petition, while the Lagos Office of the NHRC had been directed to investigate the complaint.
When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr. Henry Obe, said, “Yes we received a petition concerning the rape of a woman by a Lagos DPO.
“The case was forwarded to the NHRC Lagos office today for investigation.”
When Awe was contacted, he denied the allegation, saying it was all falsehood.
He said, “That allegation is totally false; I am aware of it. But I cannot talk now because I am driving.
“I am on my way to the Lagos Police Command. I will call you when I am through.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, could not be reached for comment.
Calls made to her phone were not answered.
Also text messages sent to the phones were not responded to as of the time of going to the press by 9pm. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Policing in Nigeria very unprofessional
ReplyDeleteSo Idomu Akinwumi is a Beninois?
ReplyDeleteSo what has that got to do with the situation at hand ? Her human rights has been abused and doesn't matter where she comes from. Stop asking a re-theoretical question !
DeleteTo get an evidence, akinwunmi hope you did sparm test, infact the Almighty God will make jugement catch up with him
Delete@ anonymous 8:10am Yes, we av Yorubas in Benin republic too
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that the woman is fighting a lost battle,because according to her,she was with her boyfriend the question is how can u be with a man in the same room naked and u claimed nothing happened,secondly she claimed after the DPO sex her she had her birth immidiately another mistake and she was not release that day untill the next day which is after 24 hours or more after the sex that she went to the hospital another blunder.the question is this,How are we sure that it is not friday that slept with her cos there was no bruses according to her result,no sign of struggle.My dear deo it may true that the DPO had sex with u but,the truth is that u don't have enough point to prove it.As for the DPO the only question I have for him is that Y was the lady arrested in the first place?is it because her boy friend came to sleep with her or what,
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't sound like an idiot, he is an 1000% idiot. The article doesn't mention Friday as her boyfriend, and other statements he made in his foolish comment.
DeleteOba, how did you pass your english languge in weac. Next time try to read in between the lines. Olodo
DeleteMaybe he didn't even pass Common Entrance self, coming here trying to judge an innocent woman.
DeleteSalihu Oba, u 4got part of the story u read so soon. What was the lady looking for b4 she saw the DPO at the corrido, also note her feelings b4 she got to the corridorr? In such situation, joint with rape, those she have a choice to reject taken a shower with the situation of filthy bathroom that led her to meet the DPO. The story is straight 4ward, however, in a country where their is no purnishment their is no refrainment frm crime, if the police are not purnished for arresting her unlawfully, then that is injustice no.1; if the police at the counter are not purnished for extortion when our constitution said bail is free, that will be injustice no.2. Finally, the issue of the DPO rape should be taken a step further in investigation for proper decision and justice. God bless Nigeria.
ReplyDeletePoor woman. That dirty slimmy PDO should be hanged. But unfutunately this is nija .The law doesnt protect women
ReplyDeleteOlopa
ReplyDeletePolice. I dnt lyk dere lyf style
ReplyDeleteOBA u r stupid hw I wish it hapuns 2 ur wife
ReplyDeleteIts simple but difficult in Nigeria the semen identity of the boyfriend friday is different from the dpo Awe.This is saf if indeed its true
ReplyDeleteIts simple but difficult in Nigeria the semen identity of the boyfriend friday is different from the dpo Awe.This is saf if indeed its true
ReplyDeleteWhen you have not had an encounter with the police, you may not understand what the woman is saying. I have discovered that almost all policemen are criminals. I thought the policewomen were better until I had a bitter experience with her. But that would have sacked all of them when my lawyer stepped in and petitioned the Commissioner of Police. So, I don't trust any policeman.
ReplyDeleteThe Nigeria police is the worst thing that happened to Nigerians as per protection of life and property, now the military has joined, I think civilian formed vigilante groups are better at policing do Jonathan either sack all police men or privatise them and share it among yourself and former heads of stares do looted our treasury and are using the same money to buy up everything that belongs to the country like you did Phcn. #Gidiswatchingyou#
ReplyDeletespurious allegation indeed! 11,000 naira is say to be missing did you find out? calculated trash to rubbish an institution so this urchin is the most beautiful in Lagos island for a DPO balderdash! peter
ReplyDelete