A 27-year-old mother of two, Blessing Mba, who was allegedly brutalized by CSP Ige Adekunle, Divisional Police Officer of the Adeeke Police Station, Iwo, Osun State has been reported missing.
Blessing, according to sources, left her house opposite Adeeke police station, Iwo on Sunday evening with her sons.
The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola said police had invited Blessing to Command headquarters in Osogbo on Sunday.
According to her, Blessing ran away from Police while they went to escort her to Osogbo to meet with the Commissioner of Police.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Blessing and one of his sons, around 9:30 pm on Sunday, left home hurriedly with a bag.
Blessing’s phone number has not been reachable, while all efforts to locate her proved abortive.
DAILY POST exclusively reported that Blessing was on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, allegedly brutalized by some police officers on the order of the Divisional Police Officer.
She told DAILY POST that the incident happened when she had gone in search of her son, 15-year-old Monday, who had not returned home and was found to have been detained by the police.
Blessing said she was at the station when a police officer identified as Àpápá assaulted her and accused her of carrying ‘sacrifice’ to the station.
“We will kill you, shoot you and nobody will ask of you,” Blessing said the officers threatened her while she was pleading for her life until she fainted.
“They poured water on me and I woke up,” she added.
Blessing told DAILY POST that the DPO, Adekunle, gave her N2,000 while she was leaving the hospital and another N2,000 in the evening.
Blessing said the DPO later gave her N15,000 and took her to the hospital again to treat her leg after she moved to report the case to the Police Area Command in Iwo.
Some sources in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity told DAILY POST, said they live in absolute fear of the DPO and his officers in the area.
Another attempt to bury the case uncovered
One Comrade Ibrahim Nurudeen, who claimed to be a human rights activist and member of Advocacy for Justice, asked this medium to step down the report of the brutalisation of the victim by the DPO and blamed the woman for coming out to speak with a journalist.
According to the acclaimed activist, he told the Area Command to hold on to the matter for investigation or prosecution. He further told this reporter that unknown police officers attacked Blessing, and not the DPO.
“We told Area Command to hold on the case. I have all the medical tests of the victim and made sure the DPO paid for her treatment,” he said.
Sources said Nurudeen had on Sunday asked for the woman. An eyewitness told DAILY POST that three men on Sunday evening came looking for Blessing at home claiming to be working for an advocacy non-governmental organisation.
When confronted, the acclaimed activist denied knowing anything about her movement.
“It is true that I was looking for her on Sunday but I just want to ask her about how the report got out. I don’t know anything about her missing,” he claimed.
The Nigerian Police (Establishment) Act 2020, Section 37(1) approved the humane treatment of arrested suspects.
The act stated that “(1) A suspect shall: (a) be accorded humane treatment, having regard to his right to the dignity of his person; and (b) not be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
Police reaction
The police spokesperson, Opalola said the CP had ordered the involved police officers to be detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
She added that the DPO was also summoned by the Commissioner of Police to report to his office on Monday, while effort is ongoing to get the woman.
“Notwithstanding, the CP has ordered the policemen involved to be detained at the State CID, while the DPO, CSP Adekunle Ige was told to report at the CP’S office this morning. The DPO has been issued an official query this morning. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to get the woman,” she said.
