Police station rape: NGOs condemn delay in probe of suspected cop

Some Non Governmental Organisations have condemned what they describe as a lengthy investigation of a police officer accused of raping a 17-year-old girl inside a police station in Lagos.

PUNCH Metro reported that the suspect, who was believed to be attached with the Ogudu Area H Command, allegedly raped the teenager after she went to the station to report a stolen phone.

Despite assurances from the state police command and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency that there would be no cover-up, the findings of the probe  have not been disclosed two weeks later.

The command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, had also said on July 14, 2024, that the command would not shield the suspect, saying, “The case is under full investigation. There is no plan to cover up the allegation.”

When PUNCH Metro reached out to Hundeyin on Thursday, his mobile phone rang without an answer, but he sent a text message instructing our correspondent to text him. As of the time this report was filed, he had not responded to the text message.

Additionally, the Lagos State DSVA had claimed that a medical test was being conducted on the survivor. When our correspondent contacted the spokesperson, Adejoke Ladenegan-Oginni, about the test status, she said the agency would forward the results to the appropriate channel once available.

“We are not the ones conducting the medical examination. We will forward the results to the appropriate authorities once they are available. We are on top of the situation,” she told our correspondent on Thursday.

Responding to the prolonged investigation, the President of the Centre for Human and Social Economic Rights, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, criticised the Nigeria Police Force for setting a bad precedent.

“This is a usual police tactic. The LSDSVA should try as much as possible not to allow this investigation to drag on. They should do as much as possible to do a proper follow-up or else the police will sweep this case under the rug.

“This case would have been a proper incident for the police to clean their system. It should have been used as a deterrent to other officers who are using their offices in their divisions to perpetrate evil,” he said.

The founder of Serene Early-Trobb Concept (Inclusive Initiative), Rhoda Olorunfemi, urged other civil society organisations to support the survivor and ensure that justice was served.

She said, “When I hear cases like this, I get angry because we are in a society where women and girls are not taken seriously. Every woman should be angry that the investigation is taking this long. Every civil society organisation should not sleep on this matter.

“The Nigeria Police Force is supposed to be protecting the masses and rights of the girl children. They are supposed to be enforcing the law. This matter may die if people don’t speak for the survivor.”

The suspect whose identities has yet to be made public had reportedly absconded from work after the incident but turned himself in for questioning later.