After
weeks of waiting for the outcome of the police investigation into the alleged
rape of a female suspect by the former
Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Onikan Police Station, a
Superintendent of Police(SP) Mr. Adekunle Awe, while she was under his custody,
news has come out that the investigation has finally rested.
According to a police source, the
investigation has been concluded and report also handed over to the Inspector
General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, while the case file had been
handed over to the Directorate of Public Administration for further action.
The source said: “It’s
DPP that will advise whether there was enough evidence and merit to be charged
to court for trial.”
It would be
recalled that some weeks back, a 31-year-old cook, Idowu Akinwunmi, had alleged
that Awe raped her while she was in detention at the station. The police had
allegedly arrested her over “spurious” reasons on the orders of her boss.
Following the
initial publication of the story, Awe was reportedly arrested while the Lagos
State Police Command took over the investigation and then the case was
transferred to Police Command, Zone2, Onikan, Lagos, under the Assistant
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mamman Tsafe.
Since the transfer to Zone2, the case became cold.
But some civil
rights organisations, with the Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN
Foundation) topping, had refused to sheathe the sword concerning the matter.
On Wednesday, it
was gathered at a press briefing organized by NOPRIN, where police excesses
were discussed, that Awe was finally granted bail last week Friday, after he
had been demanding it for weeks.
Worried by the sudden
silence since the case was transferred to Zone2, he National Coordinator of
NOPRIN, Okechukwu Nwanguma said: “NOPRIN found the sudden silence by the police
over this case very worrisome and called on the Inspector General of Police to
reassure Nigerians of his commitment to ensure that the case will not be swept
under the carpet. NOPRIN is calling on the Nigeria Police to publicly disclose
the outcome- or current status- of investigation into this case and to make a
categorical statement reassuring Nigerians that truth and justice would be
upheld in this case. There is enough evidence to charge the DPO to court.”
The Human Right
Commission, which also had not relented in following and closely watch the
unfolding drama told Nwanguma that the case was now before the DPP.
A source at the
Human Right Commission said: “We gathered from Zone2 Zonal CID department, that
the police are through with the investigation. The police said it had forwarded
its findings to the IGP. The police it had also written the DPP and that it was
based on the advice of the DPP, on the facts discovered during investigation
that the next step would be known.”
Legal
practitioner, Adeola Ilori charged journalists not to relent in writing about
the case, even as he noted that the fact that the clever DPO compelled the victim
to wash after the rape was a militating factor in the matter.
He said: “Having
washed her, that evidence is gone! As far as law in Nigeria is concern, it’s
through doctor’s report and show of physical struggle that rape can be proven.”
The lady who is at
the centre of the storm, Idowu Akinwunmi, spoke with the correspondent about
her feelings. Asked what she wanted, she said: “I want him to die! He disgraced
me! I’m tired of everything because I have lost my job and I have two kids to
carter for, how do I manage? I keep spending going to answer calls of the
police, I’m broke! I’m not happy about the whole thing.”
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