The Lagos state police command has refuted claims made by a widow, Mrs Adebukola Mowette that she was sexually harassed by a police simply identified as Egi while in the custody of the Ilaje police station In a statement by the Lagos state police command spokesperson, SP Chike Oti revealed that after investigations, the command found out the allegations made by the widow were false and unfounded.
The statement was reproduced below
The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a publication in the page-4 of The Nation Newspaper dated Friday, July 13, 2018 with the caption “Sex-for-bail scandal rocks Bariga Police Station, Edgal orders probe”
It is interesting to note that the reporter mentioned that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, is aware of the allegation and had ordered the Gender Section of the Command to investigate the matter.
The truth of the matter is that the writer indeed drew the attention of the Commissioner of Police to the allegation and in his usual manner, the CP ordered the officer in charge of the Gender Section, SP(Mrs) Adejoke Cole to investigate and report her findings for appropriate disciplinary action against any officer found culpable.
Investigation into the case was painstakingly carried out and findings from the case revealed that one Mrs Adebukola Mowette, who claims to be a widow, was reported at Bariga Police Station on June 25, 2018 by one Clement Iperepolu, male, of No. 3 Ibukunolu street, Akoka, Bariga for assault occasioning harm.
The complainant was grievously injured by the suspect who pushed him against a running Tire pumping engine.
Due to injury sustained, he was given a medical form to go to General Hospital, Gbagada for treatment.
The report from the hospital shows that the complainant suffered a scapula fracture. The scapula is sturdy and located in a protected place, so it rarely breaks. When it does, it is an indication that the individual was subjected to a considerable force. This tells you how much the complainant suffered as a result of the attack on his person.
The suspect was arrested the same day she attacked the victim being June 25, 2018. She was interrogated and she owned up committing the crime. She was granted administrative bail within 24 hours of her arrest.
However, both parties met and reached an agreement outside of the police that the suspect would write off the medical expenses incurred by the complainant which stood at forty thousand Naira only(40000.00).
The forty thousand Naira was not offered to the police neither was it meant for bail as was erroneously reported.
Although in paragraph 21 of the publication, the reporter stated that the suspect reached an agreement with the victim to write off his medical bill, how the same reporter ingeniously turned the truth on its head by calling the offer the suspect voluntarily made to the victim, a bail money, is rather bewildering.
Investigation also revealed that the suspect Adebukola Mowette spent less than 24 hours in police custody and during the period, she was not extorted, sexually harassed, abused nor undignified in any way.
It was also seen that the Investigating Police Officer, Sergeant Akintemi Bernard was neutral in the agreement voluntarily reached by the suspect and the complainant and therefore couldn’t have used that as means to obtain sex or threaten her. It is worthy to mention that the IPO does not have the power to decide who goes on bail. The bail application for the suspect was endorsed by the Divisional Crime Officer to the Divisional Police Officer who approved the bail at no cost to the suspect.
The CP wishes to assure all media houses in Lagos, that his office remains open to all of them and they should feel free to confirm any story of interest through him or the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer
