A 31 year old woman, Idowu Akinwunmi, working as a cook in Keffi, Ikoyi has accused the Divisional Police Officer responsible for Onikan Police Station, SP Adekunle Awe of rape .
The woman who hails from Benin Republic was arrested by her employer along with two other staff for squatting others in her premises.
Narrating the incident, 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.”
She said her madam called police to arrest them around 1am when she discovered. Other staff also caught with squatters were arrested.
“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.”
She said she asked to use the bathroom at the station, but could not because it was filthy and in the hallway she ran into the DPO for the first time.
“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.”
She said the DPO assured her she would be released in the morning and sent her back to her cell where she said she cried throughout the night.
Idowu said she reported the matter to female officers in the morning. She also said when her people came to bail her, the DPO sent for her.
“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.
Upon her discharge from the hospital, she went to the Island Maternity Center to run a series of tests.
A copy of the medical report, signed by Dr. R. A. Seriki, reads, “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 woman reported the incident to the Area A Police Command.
Women Rights Organization, Project Alert on Violence Against Women and the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria are reportedly involved and have petitioned the National Human Rights Commission over the rape.
The DPO has denied the allegations, however the matter is under full investigation by the NHRC and the Lagos Police Command.