Crime

Viral Video: Police Arrest Inspector Assaulting Young Man

By Web News 432

The Imo State Police Command has arrested an Inspector of Police seen in a viral video assaulting a young man.

The incident, which happened in Owerri, the state capital, had elicited reactions as many condemned the inhumane act meted out to the victim.

Responding to a call for the arrest of the erring cop, the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Barde, ordered the immediate arrest of the unnamed officer.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, on Wednesday, the CP condemned the cop’s unprofessional behaviour.

He ordered that the cop be identified and arrested immediately, saying that the officer’s act was unacceptable.

The statement read, “The attention of the Imo State Police Command has been drawn to a viral video with a caption, ‘Nigeria Police can never be your friend, especially the ones in Owerri’, where a Police Inspector alleged to be serving in Imo State was seen forcefully removing the cap of a young man and slapping him several times in his face.

“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State, CP Mohammed Barde, psc(+), condemns this irritating act in totality as it highly contradicts the professional ethics and code of conduct of the Force. The Nigeria Police Force is a highly disciplined organisation and will never tolerate the misconduct of the officer seen in the video.

“To this effect, the CP has mandated his monitoring team to investigate and identify the officer for necessary disciplinary action. Moreso, the victim is encouraged to call the PPRO in Imo or come to the Police Public Relations Department Owerri and make his complaint.”

In an update a few hours later same Wednesday, the police spokesman announced that the erring cop had been identified and arrested.

Okoye said the cop was currently undergoing an orderly room trial.

The police spokesperson said, “The irritating incident happened in Owerri. The recalcitrant Inspector has been identified; he is currently undergoing an orderly room trial after which necessary disciplinary action will be taken against him.”

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Crime

Reactions Trail Towobola Viral Video

By Web News 2598

Reactions have continued to trail the video of a lady that was harassed by a police officer in Ibadan.

In the video, which was recorded by one of the officers who identified himself as “Wyclef” was a lady known as Towobola handcuffed and maltreated.

While answering the officer’s unprofessional questions, Towobola said she is a student of university of Ibadan and was innocent of the allegations levelled against her.

The officer, simply known as”Wyclef” was seen making fun of the lady threatened to show the video to the entire world.

Some residents of Ibadan metropolis condemned the act and called for stiffer penalty on the erring officers.

Reacting, a criminologist, Professor Oyesoji Aremu said the impact of the act could be fatal on the victim as well as her family, psychologically and emotionally.

Professor Aremu of the University of Ibadan said even if the lady was an accomplice, she should not have been treated in that manner as it is against her human rights.

In a swift reactions, Inspector General of Police, Mr Muhammad Adamu has ordered discreet investigations into the circumstances surrounding the dehumanizing treatment meted out to the lady.

Confirming the directive, Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi said the command had swang into action to get to the root of the matter.

The police spokesman, therefore, called on members of the public not to use effects of the circulated video to cause intestinal the state.

Similarly, the International Federation of Women Lawyers has called on Nigeria Police Force to immediately stop the spread of a viral video where a lady was sexually assaulted by a Police officer.

Addressing newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State Chairperson of the Federation, Mrs Oluyemisi Collins who condemned the act, also frowned at the way the lady was interrogated which was based on her private life. 

She called on Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police in Oyo to ensure that the perpetrators of the act were brought to book. 

According to her, “why would the police interrogate her on private life bothering on immorality and attempted to link same to the alleged crimes? Why would the police feel comfortable in breaching her right to dignity of human person?”

The FIDA Chairperson frowned at parading suspects before charging them to court, describing it as an act of violating fundamental human right of those suspects.

“We call on the Inspector General of Police and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police in whose jurisdiction this illegal act was committed not to only investigate, but also to ensure that the perpetrators of this of this dastard act are brought to book so as to serve as deterrence to others”.

Mrs Collins promised that the Federation would be committed to the promotion and protection of the right of women and children in Nigeria Society.

“We undertake to ensure that all legal machineries and defense are set in motion to ensure that Towobola ( the victim) gets justice, her dignity restored and her damaged image redeemed” she concluded.

She added that FIDA wants the Nigeria Police to tender public apology to the victim, and make it viral.

Sunday Ogunyemi/Rasheeda Makinde