Juliana Francis
Members of the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN) have condemned the detention of a 20 years old girl by policemen at the Igando Police Station, Lagos State Police Command.
The girl, Blessing, was alleged of theft by her employee, Gbolahan, who is a friend of the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Inspector Akingboju that handled the investigation.
According to the mandated reporter, Blessing sold some drinks to a certain woman to whom Gbolahan had warned her not to sell his drinks without retrieving his crates of bottles.
But Blessing, because she was trying to meet the financial target given to her by her boss, decided to sell to the forbidden woman.
The mandated reporter said: “The buyer was owing Blessing some money before this transaction. The ungrateful woman started beating Blessing and tore her clothes. Gbolahan equally pounced on Blessing after he had collected the money the neighbour owned Blessing. The girl was beaten to a state of stupor. Meanwhile, Gbolahan owed Blessing four months’ salary. To not pay the salary, he decided to use his friend working at the Igando Police Station, to alleged Blessing of theft. Blessing has been in detention since last week. This is an infringement on the fundamental human rights of Blessing in the hands of Inspector Akingboju. There have been several efforts and calls put across to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), a Superintendent of Police, who had promised to release the girl without delay. It, however, turned out that the DPO is also known to Gbolahan and knows Akingboju activities. It’s been five days now Blessing has been in detention.”
At the time of filling in this report, it was gathered that the salesgirl had been released following intervention from the Lagos State Police Headquarters.
Igando Divisional Police headquarters is renowned for nefarious activities, tainting the much desired better image efforts of the Lagos state command. That ugly incident is just one out of many infringements that daily occur there.
The state command should beam more searchlight on the underhand dealings there; particularly regarding traffic offences, and long-standing impunity of the over-stayed officers, who usually resist/influence being posted elsewhere.
So many things needs looking into at Igando. Take for an instance, the illegal construction of 15 shops attached to the new station fence. To whom will rents generated be channeled? Was consideration made of the right of passage to pedestrians/motorists alike?
Stalls attached harphazadly round the old station (to me) was what eased the razed down of the old structure by thugs and miscreants during the EndSARS riot