A woman, Mrs. Toyin Adeyeye, her two months old baby, Heritage, and her younger brother, Adeniyi Dada were allegedly beaten up and detained for refusing to give bribe at a checkpoint in Ado Ekiti.
The woman was arrested with her baby and brother at the checkpoint in front of Ekiti Pavilion where they were allegedly beaten by about five policemen who later took them to the New Iyin Police Station where the beating continued.
The incident happened few meters away from the official residence of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdullahi Chafe.
Mrs. Adeyeye returned from the United States of America ten days earlier where she had gone to deliver the baby. Apart from detaining the trio, the police also 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 Saturday morning when our reporter visited the police station on a fact-finding mission.
Speaking with reporters on Saturday, 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 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 said one of the policemen withheld the documents demanding that they be “settled,” a euphemism for bribe which Mrs. Adeyeye and her brother on account that the vehicles papers are 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 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 action of 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 attacked an armed policeman? They have cooked up this falsehood to cover up their brutality.”
Already, the state chapter of Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), has launched an investigation into the matter as the state chairperson of the body, Mrs. Funke Anoma, visited the station in connection with the incident at about 12.30 pm.
When contacted on phone, the state Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Chafe, said the detainees slapped a policeman on duty and tore is 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 of a minor to be detained. I have taken note of this and we will take the right action on the matter.”
