Some ladies, who were convicted by a mobile court for alleged
prostitution, on Thursday painted gory details of how they were
harassed, molested and assaulted by some men of the Nigeria Police
in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The ladies, who narrated their ordeal to reporters in Abuja,
alleged that policemen attached to Utako, Life Camp and Gwarimpa
police stations in Abuja, the nation’s capital, raped and
physically assaulted them in custody.
They also claimed that they were compelled to plead guilty when
they were arraigned before the court on Monday by the police.
They all spoke anonymously for fear of being victimised by the
police while facing the wall.
The ladies said they were arrested at a night club, thrown into
a cell and repeatedly tear-gassed.
A fair complexioned victim explained that a policeman attached
to the Utako Police station identified as ‘Yellow,’ hit her with a
baton and horse whip several times, injuring her arm and face
during the assault.
Her experience was corroborated by her co-convicts who lamented
the alleged emotional abuse and physical torture they suffered
while in police cell last week.
Another victim, who claimed to have been arrested at a shopping
plaza, said the policemen attached to the FCT ministerial task
raped her when she could not pay them.
The lady said she was held down by three policemen while one of
them raped her without a condom.
She also said two other girls were raped by the same
policemen.
She said: “Three of us were brought out of the van and raped by
the policemen because we had no money to give them.
“We were raped behind the National War College. They pushed me
to the ground and held me there while one of them raped me. He
didn’t wear a condom.
“The other girls were also raped by two others one of who used a
pure water sachet as condom.”
Another victim said she was picked up by the police at a hotel
where she attended a birthday party.
She said: “I was invited to a birthday party at an apartment in
a hotel. I came to the reception to get bottled water, a woman held
my hands and pushed me out of the hotel and I saw a lot of people
with cameras and some with mobile phones taking my pictures and
shooting a video of the arrest.’’
An activist, Dorothy Njemanze, during the briefing, also
narrated her experience in the hands of policemen who allegedly
molested her.
Njemanze said she was awarded N6 million damages by the ECOWAS
court in 2017.
She lamented that the Federal Government had refused to pay the
damages up till date.
The acting FCT police spokesman, ASP Gajere Danjuma, said the
commissioner of police was aware of the allegations which he said
were being investigated.
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HAJJ Pilgrims NAHCON
NAHCON, NDLEA Partner towards drug-incident-free
Pilgrimage
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) commends the
effort of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for
unraveling the drug trafficking circle of criminals notorious for
planting drugs in innocent travelers’ luggage thereby implicating
them in a crime they know nothing about.
The two agencies will continue to work together in ensuring a
drug-incident-free Umrah season and Hajj 2019 period.
Thankfully, this discovery has given hope for the redemption of
Zainab Habibu Aliyu from incarceration, the young lady who pleaded
ignorance of a drug baggage tagged in her name. Consequently, the
Commission has ordered its lawyers in Saudi Arabia to compliment
efforts of the Nigerian mission in the Kingdom in securing Zainab’s
timely release back to the country.
Furthermore, the Commission, in collaboration with sister
agencies, will deploy the necessary staff and technology at Hajj
departure centers nationwide to ensure security of pilgrims and
their luggage against abuse and drug peddling in any guise.
Fatima Sanda Usara,
Head, Public Affairs Division,
NAHCON