COVID-19 Lockdown: Police arrest officers for torturing woman

The Police in Osun on Sunday confirmed the arrest and detention of two of its personnel in a viral video torturing a woman in Iwo, while enforcing the Covid-19 lockdown order in the state.

DSP Yemisi Opalola, the Osun Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) confirmed the development in a statement in Osogbo.

Opalola said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo, ordered the arrest and detention of the suspected erring officers, adding that arrangement had been set in motion to subject them to “orderly room’’ trial for the alleged unprofessional conduct.

“The attention of the Osun Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo has been drawn to a video that has gone viral of police officers assaulting a woman in Iwo.

“The CP condemns in totality, the unprovoked assault on an innocent lady, Abdulazeez Alimat as depicted in the viral video at Odo-Ori market in Iwo by Policemen attached to Iwo Division, on enforcement of COVID-19 lockdown order.

“The commissioner of police has identified, arrested, and detained the erring policemen involved in the unlawful assault.

“They are Inspector Ikuesan Taiwo with AP/NO. 251724 and PC Abass Ibrahim with F/NO. 509634 respectively,’’ Opalola said.

She further explained that: “the defaulters are currently facing force disciplinary procedure of orderly room trial for their unprofessional conduct’’.

The PPRO had quoted the CP as saying that: “Osun State Police Command will not condone any act of discreditable conduct and reckless incivility to member(s) of the public on the part of its personnel’’.

“ The CP also enjoins residents in the state to continue to cooperate with the command to the fight against crime and injustice by overzealous policemen,’’ she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the video elicited public condemnation and prompt response by the police authority to investigate with the view to serving justice