Policeman uses rifle to torture couple

A 29-year-old photographer, Ejeh Smith, and his wife, Grace, 26, are in pains and receiving treatment at a Lagos hospital after a police officer, identified as Dada Ogunsanya, allegedly tortured them with his rifle.

Ogunsanya is attached to the Ikoyi Police Division.

The incident happened at the Lekki Roundabout on Wednesday, last week, while the couple was in a taxi en route to their home at Parkview Estate.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the police officer was among a seven-man team, patrolling the area around 10pm.

The police team was said to have stopped the taxi driver and demanded that he opened his boot for a routine check.

The taxi driver, Ndubuisi Iheaka, told our correspondent that after he opened his boot which contained scaffolding belts, the policeman demanded to see his driving licence.

“I was about getting the driving licence when he started flashing his torchlight on my passengers who were sitting at the back.

“The wife told the officer not to flash the torch on them since the inner light of the vehicle was on.

“Because of what she said, the policeman asked them to come down from the cab. This started an argument. The next thing I saw was that the policeman pulled my passenger (Ejeh) by his trousers, and his wife went to plead with him to stop.

“But instead, he slapped her and punched her husband. He was wearing a ring, which inflicted a deep cut on Ejeh’s face. After that, he used the butt of his gun to hit him in his eye and face. He also dragged his wife on the road.”

Grace said the policeman, apart from slapping her, stepped on her tummy.

“If I was pregnant that night, I would have lost my pregnancy. I was only trying to pet him to leave my husband since he did not have business with us. I told him to face the cab driver and leave us alone. “The other policemen were just looking at him while he dragged me on the ground. A man riding a tricycle at the time was the one who rescued me. He said the policemen must call their Divisional Police Officer or else he would not leave the scene,” she said.