Police investigate DPO accused of raping detainee

An investigative team of policemen has visited the Onikan Police Station, Lagos, as part of investigations into the alleged rape of a female detainee, Idowu Akinwunmi.

Akinwunmi had on Wednesday alleged that the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Adekunle Awe, raped her inside a room situated in his office around 10pm on Tuesday.

Akinwunmi was alleged to have been raped by the DPO, who threatened to kill her or lock her and her friends up in prison if she refused to give in to his advances.

The 31-year-old victim and her five friends, who were detained in the cell for over 48 hours, were said to have paid N30,000 before they were granted bail.

After her release, the victim was said to have reported the matter to the police command headquarters after which the DPO and two inspectors were arrested.

A reliable source told our correspondent that a police team had gone to visit the station to verify the claims of the victim.

Also, seven policemen, who were on duty, have also been interrogated.

It was learnt that a panel consisting of the Police Public Relations Officer, the Officer in charge of Human Rights and the Officer in charge of X Squad Department had been constituted.

He said, "On Friday, a team of policemen were sent to the station to interrogate other police officers at the station. The allegations made were that the DPO had been doing this for quite some time and we wanted to find out if this was true.

"The victim also claimed to have been raped on a bed in the DPO's room. What we have done is to go to the office and check for evidence. The woman's description of the DPO's office, room and toilet was very detailed."

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a corporal attached to Police Mobile Force 20 for allegedly brutalising two women in the Obalende area of the state.

we learnt that the policeman, Tafa Mohammed, was arrested on Friday and had been detained at the police command headquarters in Ikeja.

In an amateur video footage, which has since gone viral on the Internet, Mohammed attempted to drown one of the women in muddy water in front of a Union Bank branch on Lewis Street.

Moments after, Mohammed assaulted another woman, corked his rifle and shot into the air in attempt to scare a crowd from the scene.

Eyewitnesses claimed Mohammed, who was drunk at the time of the incident, went berserk after one of the ladies, a street food vendor, refused to sell a piece of fish to finish to complement  his beer.