The Lagos State Police Command has launched a thorough investigation into the alleged rape accusation against one of its officers by a 17-year-old girl.
According to The PUNCH, in a statement on Sunday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, also revealed that the officer, whose identity remains undisclosed, had been apprehended.
Reports revealed on Saturday that the victim alleged that she was raped inside the Ogudu Police Station in the Ojota area of the state.
Reports indicated that the officer had pledged to assist the teenager in recovering her phone, which had been seized by ‘one chance’ robbers on June 16 while she, along with her grandmother and siblings, were returning from Ikeja.
According to reports, the suspect allegedly overheard the teenager recounting her ordeal to her mother at her shop and volunteered to assist in locating her missing phone and obtaining her statement.
The victim further stated that she was lured into the suspect’s office under the pretext of retrieving her phone, where the alleged incident took place.
The victim’s mother, Aramide Olupona, revealed that her daughter started bleeding a day after the assault and was subsequently taken to the Mirabel Centre. She also reported the incident to the authorities.
Olupona, however, accused the police of trying to bury the case, saying, “The suspect’s wife and the rest of his family have come to my shop to plead with me saying he would soon retire, but what about my daughter who was raped? Is it because I am a poor woman?”
In response, Hundeyin emphasized that the alleged act violated the police’s code of conduct. He reassured the victim’s family and the public that there would be no attempt to conceal the incident.
He said, “The Lagos State Police Command has placed under arrest one of its personnel accused of defiling a 17-year-old girl. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, has directed a full-scale and thorough investigation into the allegation.
“The command assures the public that there is no attempt at a cover-up as such hideous acts are at variance with the code of conduct and professional ethics of the Nigeria Police Force.
“To this end, CP Fayoade once again assures Nigerians that the officer will be dealt with under police regulations and the law if found culpable.”
