The photo you
are looking at is that of one Ejeh Smith, 29, a photographer by profession and
his wife, Grace, 26. The couple alleged that a policeman, identified as Dada
Ogunsanya attached to the Ikoyi Police station attacked them with his rifle
along the Lekki Roundabout on Wednesday December 3rd.
According to
Punch,
the couple who are currently receiving treatment at a Lagos Hospital for wounds
they sustained from the attack said they were in a taxi on their way to their
Parkview home when a 7-man Police patrol team at the Lekki Roundabout stopped
their taxi.
Narrating what
transpired, the driver of the taxi, Ndubuisi Iheaka said the police asked to inspect
his boot which he obliged and opened for them. He said they then demanded for
his driver’s license and as he was about getting it for them, they flashed
their lights on his passengers
"I was about
getting the driving license when he started flashing his torchlight on my
passengers who were sitting at the back. The wife told the officer not to flash
the torch on them since the inner light of the vehicle was on. Because of what
she said, the policeman asked them to come down from the cab. This started an
argument. The next thing I saw was that the policeman pulled my passenger
(Ejeh) by his trousers, and his wife went to plead with him to stop. But
instead, he slapped her and punched her husband. He was wearing a ring, which
inflicted a deep cut on Ejeh’s face. After that, he used the butt of his gun to
hit him in his eye and face. He also dragged his wife on the road.” the taxi
driver said
Grace, the
photographer's wife said the assault continued with the police officer stepping
on her stomach
"If I was
pregnant that night, I would have lost my pregnancy. I was only trying to pet
him to leave my husband since he did not have business with us. I told him to
face the cab driver and leave us alone. The other policemen were just looking
at him while he dragged me on the ground. A man riding a tricycle at the time
was the one who rescued me. He said the policemen must call their Divisional
Police Officer or else he would not leave the scene,” she said.
Mr Ejeh said as
they were being tortured, the DPO of the Ikoyi Police station, Mrs Aisha Haruna
arrived the scene and ordered that they be taken to their station to make
statement. He said he refused, insisting that they need medical attention. He
said he was dripping blood from his eyes and his wife was vomiting blood.
"We told her
that we needed to first treat ourselves before we could make statements. That
was when we were given forms and referred to the Falomo Police Hospital. We
paid for the treatment and we also went to the eye clinic for treatment.”
Grace said all
the video recordings she did of the incident on her phone have been deleted by
the police, including some of her personal data.
“Even my personal
data were deleted. And when I asked the DPO why she did that, she said we
deserved the treatment we got. She said she would have locked us up in the cell
if not for our injuries. She said we did not know how to talk,” Grace said.
While confirming
the incident, the Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth
Nwosu,said disciplinary actions would be taken once investigation into the
matter is concluded.
“Yes, the
incident happened in the Ikoyi division. Inquiries are on as well as
disciplinary procedures.”he said
Meanwhile the
Husband and Wife says they will be filing a petition to the Inspector General
of Police through their family lawyer.
Source: Punch
