Pregnant Woman Loses Her Pregnancy After Torture By Police

A 37-year-old woman, Risikat
Bamidele, is currently receiving
treatment at the Ogun State Hospital,
Ijaiye after policemen allegedly
tortured her on Saturday for making
phone call at a police station.
Sadly, in the process, Risikat lost her
nine weeks old pregnancy at the
Kemta-Idi Aba police station where
her husband, Tunde is being
detained.
While narrating her ordeals on the
hospital bed, Risikat said she was
harassed by a policeman on the
orders of the Divisional Police
Officer for making phone calls.
She alleged that the policeman
slapped her several times, while she
was being pushed behind the
counter. She said before her
encounter with the DPO, she was
trying to call her in-law who is based
in Abuja on the arrest of her
husband.
Risikat was said to have fainted
when she got to her place of work,
Catholic Comprehensive High School
in the Onikolobo area.
Her Ordeal
Speaking at the state hospital, Risikat
said: “When I got to the police
station, my husband gave me his
phone that I should call his brother.
While I was calling his brother, I saw
one policeman, I did not know he
was the DPO. He told me that I was
stupid for making calls in the police
environment around after eight
o’clock.
“He later called a policeman to arrest
me. I was harassed, pushed and
brutalised. My husband saw what
they were doing to me and he told
them that I was pregnant and begged
them not to touch me.
“But, the DPO turned deaf ears,
saying they will take me to Eleweran
the following day. I asked him what
my offence was because I did not
know what I did wrong.
I was begging them to release me
because my husband was in their
custody and there was nobody at
home to take care of my children.
They collected my phone, I could not
call anybody, it was my neighbour
that took care of my children.
“In the midnight, I was having
stomach pain, I called the policeman
at the counter that I was having
pains in my stomach but he said
there was nothing he could do.
After some hours, I discovered I was
bleeding, I tried explaining things to
the policeman on duty but he did not
listen. My husband later gave me
money to get sanitary pad.
“The next morning, I was released by
the policeman. They told me that he
did not have right to detain me but
because I did not give the DPO the
phone that was why I was detained.
They said, I have learnt a lesson that
when an elderly man talks to me, I
should answer immediately.
“I was planning to go to the hospital
the following day so that I can get
drugs but I went to my office to sign
before going to the hospital. It was
there that I collapsed and was rushed
to the hospital. The doctor confirmed
that I had lost my nine weeks
pregnancy.”
According to Vanguard, policemen
attached to the police station had
arrested her husband, Tunde, and
three others including two suppliers
and a contractor at Iyana Mortuary
area of Abeokuta.
Tunde and the two suppliers, Ade
and Olowookere, it was learned,
were being owed over N500,000 by
their contractor, who was identified
as Bolaji, the owner of TSF Nigeria
Limited.
He said he agreed to meet with
Bolaji at Iyana Mortuary, before he
informed Ade and Olowookere, who
were also being owed for supplying
materials at a construction site at
Laderin Workers’ Estate, Abeokuta.
He added that he, alongside Ade and
Olowookere, were arrested by
policemen brought by Bolaji.
He said he tried informing the
policemen that his wife was
pregnant, adding: “He (DPO)
commanded one police officer to
bring me out of the cell, remove my
clothes, pour water on my body and
use tear-gas on me. I told him that I
am ulcer and diabetes patient that if
they want to kill me, it was better
they knew.
“My wife and Bolaji slept at the back
of the counter while I, Olowookere
and Ade slept in the cell,” Tunde
said.
He said the four of them were
released on Sunday after paying
N5,000 as bail for each person.
Police React
The state Police PRO, Muyiwa
Adejobi, claimed the police command
was not aware of the incident.
He said: “We are not aware of the
matter. No one has informed us
about the incident, except you
newsmen. If it is true, the
Commissioner of Police will be
interested in the matter. We will
check on the affected woman if the
command is informed. The family
should inform the Police about the
issue and we will take it up from
there.”