Other DPO, policemen are doing it-Policemen

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*New DPO takes over Onikan

The embattled Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), in charge of Onikan Police Station, SP. Adekunle Awe, who was alleged by Miss. Idowu Akinwunmi, his detainee of raping her while she was in his custody, was on Thursday detained along with five other policemen and women for rape and extortion.

Meanwhile, a new divisional police officer, identified as Mr. Kayode Ayeni, a Superintendent of Police (SP), has taken over the seat of Awe at Onikan Police Station. Ayeni, before his move to Onikan division, is the Divisional Traffic Officer, Adeniyi Adele Police Station.

While Awe was detained for rape, other policemen and a woman Inspector, all from the DPO’s station were detained for collecting the sum of N30, 000 from the victim and her brothers.

The policemen detained with Awe are two corporals, a sergeant and an inspector. The inspector is the charge room officer (CRO) of the station. The woman is also an inspector.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), in charge of operations, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Tunde Shobulo signed the detention order of the men.

While the DPO has been struggling to extricate himself from the noose slowly tightening around his neck, policemen, including his course mates, had been calling the victim’s friends and relations, begging them to make sure justice was done because, “Awe has been doing this for long.”

Policemen also serving under Awe at Onikan division insisted that Awe had been carrying out such practice for long. One of them said: “There was a time he raped a male suspect’s wife before he granted the suspect bail.”

Other policemen who appeared to take side with Awe said: “We’ve spoken with him. He said he was framed. But from his tone and voice we know he did it, but it was not rape! There was no struggle and he didn’t tear off her panties or anything. It was consensual. Some suspects are so desperate that they can do anything, including offering their bodies!”

Another policeman said: “Awe is not the first. A lot of policemen, DPO are doing it. They would not grant bail except they sleep with the female suspect or a male suspect’s wife, sister or lover.”

A Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said: “That the suspect seduced Awe is not an excuse for his action. The fact that she’s a suspect and he had sex with her is like holding a gun to her head. She had no choice! If he’s denying it, how did she know about the inner room in his office?”

Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), while applauding the Inspector General of Police for displaying seriousness towards the issue, added: “We call on the investigating team to remain focused, steadfast and professional and resist any pressure to compromise investigation.

“We expect that investigation should be concluded pretty early and that on conclusion of investigation, the report will be made public and   appropriate sanctions imposed on the culprits, as deterrence.”
According to the spokesman of NOPRIN, Okechuku Nwanguma, there was need to send out a strong message that rape would no longer be tolerated and that perpetrators would no more escape justice. “It will also give the needed courage to other victims of rape to report and hope that they will get justice.
 “We must not miss this auspicious  moment to deal a fatal blow to the scourge of rape of female detainees in police custody, a phenomenon  that has remained very rampant but covered and sustained by the silence from shame, loss of confidence in the criminal justice system and, therefore, reluctance by victims to speak out.”

He urged all victims of rape- whether in the past of future- to henceforth summon the courage and report to NOPRIN or any of its network of member-organizations spread across Nigeria for appropriate action as we've witnessed in the instant case.