This is a very long story; however, as Nollywood top flight
actress Patience Osokwor, will put it, ‘the story is always long’, be that as
it may, I will begin it anywhere.
Idowu Akinwunmi, 31, cook, a citizen of Benin Republic, alleged
that she was raped ,extorted, and threatened by
the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Onikan Station, SP Adekunle
Awe.The victim said that the incident occurred on April 15, 2014.
According to her story, she explained that on April 14
she was arrested by the police for “spurious” reasons.
This was how she narrated her story:“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.”
“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.”
“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.
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 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
“Friday had been making advances at me, but we were not a couple. I allowed him to sleep over.”
“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.”
“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.
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 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
Idowu, claimed that after she was released from the
police detention, she went straight 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. And that the matter had been transferred to the office of the Commissioner of Police for further investigation.
Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwumah, Director, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, 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.”
This alleged rape case of Idowu Akinwunmi and the DPO, will never see the light of the day! Am not saying that police will not investigate the matter but we would not hear anything concrete about it again. The similar rape case was levelled against popular ‘fuji’ musician Abas Akande aka Obesere by a 29-year-old business woman, Miss Olanike Olaiya, in his Okota residence. Majority of the women that made comments about the incident then called Olanike a prostitute or gold digger,etc. Now what will you call this poor cook! The ‘Oga’ at the top ‘killed’ the case. Now the question is: Who will investigate the investigator?
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. And that the matter had been transferred to the office of the Commissioner of Police for further investigation.
Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwumah, Director, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, 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.”
This alleged rape case of Idowu Akinwunmi and the DPO, will never see the light of the day! Am not saying that police will not investigate the matter but we would not hear anything concrete about it again. The similar rape case was levelled against popular ‘fuji’ musician Abas Akande aka Obesere by a 29-year-old business woman, Miss Olanike Olaiya, in his Okota residence. Majority of the women that made comments about the incident then called Olanike a prostitute or gold digger,etc. Now what will you call this poor cook! The ‘Oga’ at the top ‘killed’ the case. Now the question is: Who will investigate the investigator?
However,
The National Coordinator, NOPRIN, Mr
Okechukwu Nwanguma who condemned the rape, said: “NOPRIN condemns the attempt
by some police officers at Area A Command, Lion Building to block the victim
from lodging a complaint of the rape with the Area Commander and collecting a
police report to go for medical examination.”
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