Police brutality has become a central issue in today’s Nigeria following several reported and non-reported cases; yet on the rise across the country despite yearnings of its populace for reformation of the police force which is yet to yield any positive result the government.
Currently the nation is witnessing pockets of protest tagged #ENDSARSNOW and ENDPOLICEBRUTALITY against the police force and its Special Anti-Robbery Squad code named SARS due to lack of professionalism in discharging its duties due to its continuous harassments of citizens mostly the youths, this has attracted voices from various quarters calling on the government to reform the entire structures of the police force.
As the police brutality continues; one of its latest victim and family are crying for justice following the ill-treatment meted on her and their daughter Miss Adaeze Samson who was said to have been assaulted by policemen attached to the Meiran Police Division on the allege of videoing their operations.
According to Miss Samson an under graduate of English Education in one of the universities in Western states of the country who embarked on apprenticeship on hairdressing just four days earlier due to the closure of schools resulting from the Covud-19 pandemic and the subsequent strike action of the Association of Senior Staff of Universities (ASSU).
She recounts her ordeal with the policemen from Meiran division, under Area “P” Police Command in Alimosho of Lagos Police Command as she battles to recover from her assaults. According to Adaeze,on that fateful day, Saturday October 3rd, 2020 she had resumed her apprentice post a shopping complex besides the Meiran Police station, while sweeping the shop in getting set tor the day’s job she heard noise from outside and proceeded to check what was happening when she noticed policemen in a heated argument with a woman; she beckoned on her colleague identified as Mirian who had gone outside to spread washed towels to come into the shop to avoid any case of stray bullet in the case of an eventual shootout, unknown to her she had been marked as a target by the men.
According to Adaeze; as she was making a return to her sweeping a man in mufti (a brown cloth with bathroom slippers) ordered her to give him her phone alleging she was videoing them which she rejected for not knowing that the man was an officer as there was nothing to identifying him as one and for her not acquainted with anyone around; on her insistence not to release her phone the man grabbed and pulled her top (cloth) with her breasts budging out her cloths, she was embarrassed she quickly dashed into the shop yet the man followed her demanding for her phone as her efforts to convince the man of not doing such proved abortive as she ran into a narrow corner of the shop where customers hairs are washed, she noticed about five men some on uniform pouncing on her in demand of same phone. According to her, her head was hit several times on the burglary proof wall where she eventually passed out and the men took the phone leaving her lifeless.
Efforts to revive her by her colleague proved abortive moments after the ordeal as she raised alarm for help she was rushed to a nearby clinic where the doctor rejected her owing to her critical condition but for persuasion from a church member of the doctor and the tricycle (Keke) rider that brought her lifeless body, before efforts were embarked to reviving her lifeless body before being transferred to a general hospital at Ile-Epo where she spent four days on admission.
As at today Friday, October 9, 2020 while speaking with Mrs. Samson, a civil servant and victims’ mother she confirmed Adaeze’s discharge from hospital but yet to fully recover as she is yet to walk without assistance for the fear of her falling down as advised by doctors. She is still terrified and wonders why a young innocent,
defenseless girl will be subjected to such brutal acts by men of the Nigerian Police without recourse for her life she calls for justice for her daughter.
Our correspondent visited and spoke with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Meiran Police Station; she confirmed the incident and said she has followed up the matter by constantly speaking with the victims’ mother as she hopes to visit the home of the victim but however denied any act of assault on the lady by her men, according to her “when she was rushed to the clinic where she was resuscitated further tests were conducted to ascertain her health condition that may have led to her collapsing the results show that she had malaria with Typhoid which may have resulted to her collapse as there were no signs of beating on her body she concluded”.
When asked on the likely cause of the increase of police brutality in the country and what her command is doing to curtailing it; she note that continuously the command engages its men on professionalism in the discharge of their duties “ when you came we were in lecture and it what we keep preaching”. That does not exonerate the police of bad eggs and of course the few bad eggs will always tarnish the image of the entire police which will be over bloated by the public, she further stated that the men involved in the incident with Miss, Adaeze are facing degrees punishments to serve as deterrent to others.
When asked why those men involved in the incident are no longer seen around, she rebuffed it and asked her Orderly to invite one of the men identified as pastor, stating that after the incident the men were detained for days and that may have resulted to such assumptions.
As Adaeze battles for her life as she recovers from yet another the brutal treatment of men of the police; one wonders why the police will be afraid to have its operations recorded if such acts are done within the confines of professionalism.
As the Samsons’ await justice from the highest authority of the police many wonders if there will ever be an end soon on police brutality in Nigeria.
