Oyo Police Command Detain Nursing Mother, 8 Months Old Baby For Reporting Domestic Violence ….. CHRSJ Raises Alarm

The men of Oyo State Police command attached to Agugu Divisional Police Station,have detained a nursing mother,Mrs Mubo A. Sulaiman and her eight (8) months old baby,Ashabi, for reporting the case of domestic violence attack against them by their co-tenant husband,one Oyewumi Adekola, popularly known as “Sinbomky” in the absence of their husband.

The rights group,the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) disclosed that the incident occurred at the Gbelekale area of Ibadan,Oyo State and the matter was earlier reported to the Police Station on Thursday, June 22nd, 2023, around 8.51pm,where one Inspector Kehinde who attended to the Victim/Complainant, told her vehemently that the Police could not arrest the suspect(Oyewumi Adekola-Sinbomky) because he was their friend in the Station.

But when the pressure was mounted by the woman Victim/Complainant,the suspect was arrested on Friday June 23rd,2023 around 8 o’clock in the morning after collecting sum of Three Thousand Naira (N3,000) from the innocent Victim/Complainant and the suspect was released few hours later by the Police and turn the woman Victim/Complainant to the suspect and she was detained alongside her eight (8) months old daughter till the time of filling this report on Saturday June 24th,2023 and not knowing the time she would be released by the Police from their illegal detention.

It added that the Woman Victim,/ Complainant and eight (8) months daughter need to go on intensive medical treatment after releasing from the illegal police detention because of trauma they were being made to pass through by the police unjustly.

It was learnt that the Woman Victim/Complainant was detained alongside her eight (8) months old daughter on the instruction of Divisional Crime Officer(DCO) to the Investigation Police Officer(IPO), Officer Mary.

Speaking on the development,the CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, has queried the rationale behind the illegal detention of the Woman Victim/Complainant, while the Police released the suspect (Oyewumi Adekola-Sinbomky) unconditionally.

Comrade Sulaiman has urged the Police authority in the country, particularly, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Oyo State,to Wade into the sensitive matter, for proper handling of the case to ensure that the woman Victim/ Complainant and her eight (8) who were detained illegally and unjustly get justice and compensation.

The rights activist has called for immediate rearrest of the suspect (Oyewumi Adekola-Sinbomky) for possible prosecution at the Court of competent jurisdiction in reasonable and real time as stipulated by the law of the land.

He then called for disciplinary action of outright DISMISSAL against the aforementioned Police Officers including their Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for allowing such illegality and criminality to be occured under his nose, saying that the occurrence shown the high level of incompetence on the part of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).

According to the Petition letter dated Friday 23rd of June,2023, to be forwarded to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police and other concern authorities including,Acting Inspector General of Police, Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Office of Oyo State First Lady, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Speaker,Oyo State House of Assembly, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone XI, Osogbo,State and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs,National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and host of others.

The letter reads thus,” The suspect (Oyewumi Adekola-Sinbomky) believed that he could do evil and go unpunished because he knows the Police at Agugu Police Station,Ibadan.But it is CHRSJ believes that the Police officer should perform his or her legitimate and constitutional duty without fear or favour and no matter whose Ox is gored.

“The unprofessional conduct of the Police officers attached to Agugu Divisional Police Station, Ibadan,are unbecoming of a trained Police Officers that are being paid with tax payers money and it shows that they are not fit and qualified to be calling a Police officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

” And CHRSJ is not surprised that the suspect (Oyewumi Adekola-Sinbomky) could go to the extent of threatening the life and beaten of co-tenant wife with eight (8) months old baby in the absence of her husband but it was learnt that suspect is a wife beater and that has been his usual character,hobby and habit.As we all know the high rate of violence against women in our society today,where many precious lives of the women had been lost in the cause of this monster.”,the letter added.

” In view of the above analysis,with the way and manner the Police officers in charge of the case at the Agugu Divisional Police Station, Ibadan,are handling the sensitive case,had shown clearly the Victim/ Complainant, and her eight (8) months old daughter could not get deserve justice.”,the letter submitted.