By Adelola Amihere
Saddended by the continous cases of harrasment and brutality against women by the Nigerian Police, the Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and over 150 women groups under the auspices of Women Human Rights Defenders and Concerned Citizens has called on the federal government to immediately constitute an independent panel to look into the issue of police impunity in the country.
Speaking at a world press conference which held in Abuja on ending police brutality against women rights defenders in Nigeria and over the assault and unlawful detention of Miss Goodness Ibagnah a barrister staff of WACOL, Founding Director, WACOL Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo lamented the action of the Nigeria Police Force in Enugu state at the WACOL office where the incident happened brings to fore the extent of abuse that human rights defenders offen suffer from the hands of the Poluce Force that is supposed to protect them.
she said: “On Monday 27th day of January, 2020, ne Miss E.I. a 21-year-old lady made a distress call to is that she was raped that evening by one Mr. Uchenna James Emenike, a 22-year-old man at corridor layout Maryland Enugu.
“WACOL legal team considered her report and thought it wise that rape was such a serious criminal matter that should be require police intervention and investigation. To that effect, one of the lawyers in WACOL office, Goodness Ibangah Esq took the victim to area council Enugu, Enugu state with a petition authored by the WACOL legal unit, informing the police of the development and requested that the matter be investigated.
According to Ezeilo, Miss Goodness Ibangah handed the victim to the police and was present when they obtained a statement from her, expressing confidence that the Police had formally taken over the investigation but unfortunately they later called goodness to provide the victim for ” settlling” by her rapists parents.
“The Police later called Goodness Ibangah Esq. requesting her to provide the victim to them as the parents of the suapect had plans of settling the issue with the victim and her family.
“Goodness Ibangah Esq. told them that she had handed over the matter to them anf therefore they should source the victim by themselves with the contact details she providedin her statement, the area commander, Inspector Chinyere in charge of JWC and some other officers in the station kept calling Goodness Ibangah Esq, trying to intimidate and coerce her to provide the victim for settlement with the family of the suspect,” she narrated.
In her remarks, the Country Director ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, said: “ActionAid Nigeria is dismayed by this terrible attack especially because the survivor, Barr. Goodness Ibangah, who almost died in the process, and the organisation she works for, WACOL, have been in the forfront of assisting the Nigerian Police to curb crimes in the country.
Obi called for the case to be transfered out of Enugu state Police Command to avoid further threats on the survivor, witness, and WACOL who have complained of intimidation and threat to life and property.
