There is outrage in Ekiti State following the alleged brutalisation of a nursing mother, Mrs. Toyin Adeyeye, by policemen at a checkpoint over her alleged refusal to offer them bribe. Interest groups and human rights bodies are furious with the police and the demand a high-powered probe into the incident. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
MRS. Toyin Adeyeye never bargained for what he experienced on Friday, March 17 just ten days after she arrived from the United States of America where she was delivered of her baby.
After being successfully delivered of the baby, she was looking forward to returning home to nurse the baby and look after the business she left behind for about six months she stayed abroad.
On that fateful day (March 17), she went to the market with her brother, Adeniyi Dada, on the wheels with the new born baby, Heritage. Little did they know that they would pass the night inside a dingy cell in a police station away from the comfort of their home.
Not only did they sleep in detention on that day, they allegedly received the beatings of their lives from those who are supposed to protect them from criminals and were feasted upon by ‘appreciative’ mosquitoes.
They were accosted by a team of policemen who mounted a checkpoint in front of Ekiti Parapo Square otherwise known as the Pavilion, and demanded for vehicle documents as well as driver’s licence which were promptly supplied and were found to be valid.
Interestingly, the incident happened few meters away from the official residence of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdullahi Chafe.
The police impounded the black Kia Picanto car with registration number LAGOS FKJ 221 EE with which they were coming from the market.
The woman was breastfeeding her baby last Saturday morning when our reporter visited the police station on a fact-finding mission.
The woman’s husband, Mr. Akanni Adeyeye, decried the alleged brutality meted out to his wife with lacerations on her body and bruises on the face.
Adeyeye, who slept in the police station in solidarity with his wife and his baby, explained that the policemen requested for vehicle particulars and driver’s licence of his brother-in-law who drove the car which are still valid.
He alleged that one of the policemen withheld the documents, demanding that they be “settled,” a euphemism for bribe, which Mrs. Adeyeye and her brother refused on account that the vehicle’s papers were valid.
Adeyeye added: “My wife and her brother were returning from the market at about 3.00 pm on Friday and on arrival at the checkpoint in front of the Pavilion very close to their station, they (policemen) asked for all vehicle papers and driver’s licence which were produced and they are valid.
“After checking all the documents, the policemen were demanding for money to be given as ‘settlement’, which my wife and her brother refused. My wife drew their attention to the baby that was crying in the car.
“Five of them were beating her at the point of arrest and on getting to the station, the beating continued. After thoroughly beating her, they obtained her statement around 10.00 pm. There are wounds on the back of my wife and face to show for it.
“On getting to the station, they now cooked up a story that my wife slapped one of them and tore his uniform, which is a lie. They are telling this lie to justify their cruelty to my wife, my baby and my brother-in-law.
“Neither my wife nor her brother slapped any policeman or tore any uniform. The question to be asked is, how would somebody who is not armed, attack an armed policeman in the midst of his colleagues who are equally armed? They are coming up with this falsehood to cover up their brutality.”
When contacted on phone, the state Police boss, Abdullahi Chafe, insisted that the detainees slapped a policeman on duty and tore his uniform, adding that the matter was still under investigation.
Chafe said: “Those people slapped my policeman on duty and tore their uniform. Uniform is an authority and what those people did was against the law and it is not good for a civilian to slap a policeman.
“It is not good for somebody to prevent a law enforcement officer from carrying out his lawful duty. Somebody wearing the uniform? It is not about his age but the authority he carries. I don’t allow my men to do something contrary to the law.
“I don’t want a woman to be detained with baby or with pregnancy. I don’t want an old woman or a minor to be detained. I have taken note of this and we will take the right action on the matter.”
There was a massive outrage expressed by Nigerians on the various online editions of the major newspapers and many news portals, as many of them poured invectives on the police for the alleged inhumanity to defenseless citizens.
This prompted a reaction from the spokesman of the state police command, Alberto Adeyemi, who posted the pictures of the officer allegedly “slapped” by Mrs. Adeyeye. The officer in question had the left side of his head and the neck plastered.
Adeyemi said in the online statement: “The attention of the Ekiti State Police Command has been drawn to a report on the Internet that a nursing mother was brutalised. We want to put it on record that our personnel stopped a Kia Picanto driven by one Dada Adeniyi and one Toyin.
“When the patrol team requested for the particulars of the vehicle, they told the team they were in a hurry. When the driver came down to open the booth of car, the woman alighted and threw the particulars at the officer.
“She then slapped the officer, the driver also used a plank to attack the officer. The DCO of the new Iyin (Road) Police Station was also attacked when he came to rescue the officer.
“His uniform was torn; the two of them were arrested and brought to the station. They refused to be detained and the policewomen on duty had to use minimum force to compel her to be detained. Later that day, her baby was brought to her. I want to appeal to members of the public to cooperate with the police. The two of them will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.”
The incident attracted the attention of Governor Ayo Fayose, who expressed anger that an harmless woman could be brutalised under his nose just few days after his administration celebrated International Women’s Day with fanfare.
The governor, who said his administration would not condone violence against women, promised to launch an investigation into the alleged attack on Mrs. Adeyeye and bring all perpetrators to book.
Fayose, who spoke during his monthly media chat, “Meet Your Governor” for the month of March, vowed that manhandling of women in any guise will no longer be condoned in the state.
He said no responsible man should beat a woman or manhandle or brutalise her for whatever reason, adding that it was unlawful for any policeman to raise his hand against a woman. The governor explained that he was actually coming from a meeting with the state commissioner of police over the matter.
Fayose said: “It is highly irresponsible for any man to brutalise a woman for any reason. The law that forbids violence against women is still operative in this state.
“And I can never allow any form of brutality of women under my watch as governor in Ekiti State. Women are even described as the weaker vessel. As such even if you marry her, does that deny her rights?
“It is particularly sad that such a report was coming barely a week after we celebrated International Women’s Day in an unprecedented style in this state. I have already ordered investigation into the matter.
“Anybody found culpable in the case will face the court of law. I am also using this opportunity to sound a note of warning to policemen who take people’s vehicle particulars, put them under their armpits and demand for bribe. Such cannot be allowed any longer in Ekiti State. We will get to the root of the matter and make justice to prevail.”
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Ekiti State has vowed not to allow the matter to be swept under the carpet, describing the alleged beating and detention of the woman and her baby as “wicked, inhuman, barbaric and uncivilised.”
The association called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to order a high-powered probe into the incident. FIDA also called for the the prosecution of the policemen who participated in the beating of the woman, her brother, Adeniyi Dada. Mrs. Adeyeye, and her baby.
Leaders of other women groups including National Council of Women, Societies (NCWS), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Women Wing, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Women Wing, Market Women Association, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Nigerian Bar Association and Women in Colleges of Education (WICE) joined in condemning the attack on Mrs. Adeyeye and her detention with her two-month-old baby.
The women groups who carried placards with various inscriptions threatened to march on the state police command headquarters if the erring officers are not brought to justice to serve as deterrent to others.
The groups claimed that following the beating received by Mrs. Adeyeye from the policemen, she has been readmitted at a hospital on account of the injury she received at the point of her Caesarian Section (CS).
They urged the state police command to hand over the policeman, who led other policemen attached to New Iyin Police Station in assaulting Mrs. Adeyeye both at the checkpoint and inside the station.
Some of their placards read: “CP Ekiti, Investigate This Crime,” “We Say No To Detention of Innocent Baby,” “We Demand Justice for Mrs Adeyeye,” “We Say No To Police Brutality,” “Violence Against Women is Violence Against All,” “Women Deserve Respect,” among others.
Anoma, who spoke through FIDA Vice Chairman Mrs. Seyi Ojo, revealed that Mrs. Adeyeye was delivered of her baby through Cesarian Section and the brutality affected her stitched abdomen. According to her, FIDA has commenced the process of filing a fundamental human rights enforcement suit on behalf of Mrs Adeyeye and her baby in the law court.
She said the women lawyers’ body appreciated the intervention of Governor Ayo Fayose, who ordered a thorough investigation but expressed regrets that the state police command was yet to take any action against the culprits.
FIDA boss said: “We observe with disdain the efforts police is making in covering up this lawlessness of its officers and the injustice to a law-abiding Ekiti woman and her child. Ekiti women are saying no to all forms of violence against women and children.
“Governor Fayose has ordered for a thorough investigation; however, the Ekiti State Command has flagrantly disobeyed and disregarded this order. The CP has refused to investigate this matter and that is why we are holding this press briefing to draw the attention of the whole world to this case.
“After stopping Mrs. Adeyeye and her brother that day, they tendered all vehicle papers which are still valid and while searching for vehicle’s documents, dollars dropped from the car and the policemen demanded for dollars.”
The chairman, Human Rights Committee, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ado Ekiti Branch, Vincent Adedara, also called on the Force Headquarters to launch an investigation into the incident because Ekiti command was allegedly shielding the culprits.
Adedara, who is also the state NBA Vice Chairman, further called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to discipline Waheed and other policemen who participated in the alleged brutality, while the New Iyin Road Police Station Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) should be queried and disciplined.
He said: “What justification did the police have to brutalise a woman and how would a harmless woman assault a fully armed policeman? We believe that the CP has not handled the matter professionally.
“Their action negates international standard of policing because they have gone ahead to plaster the head of a policeman to portray Mrs. Adeyeye as an aggressor and that is why we want the IGP to constitute a high-powered panel to investigate the matter.”
It is sure that that the controversy over the alleged brutality won’t go away soon as it is generating questions among residents of Ekiti State and other Nigerians.
“Can an unarmed woman with a baby in her hand slap and attack a policeman among five of his other colleagues at a scene just near their station? Can the slapping cause deep injuries on the face and the neck of the policeman? Will the woman and the ‘injured’ officer be subjected to medical examination to ascertain who was injured among them?
“If it was true that the woman slapped or tore the uniform as alleged, does that warrant the beating she was subjected to? Was the baby with her at the time of the incident or was he brought to the station as alleged by the police? Where are the dollars allegedly seized from Mrs. Adeyeye?”
Definitely, the case is heading to the court of law and the judiciary will do well to find answers to these posers to stem the tide of brutality at checkpoints, police stations and other public places in Nigeria.
