Narrating her bitter experience, a relative of the victim who pleaded anonymity said Hafsat lost consciousness while being sexually assaulted by the police officer. He said Hafsat sustained injuries on her back and private part as a result of the incident and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Hafsat was arrested and detained along with one Alhaji Audu at Soro Police station over allegation of conspiracy and culpable homicide following a report lodged at Soro police station by one Mallam Alhaji Buba.
She was with her baby, Hashimu who was less than a year old at the time she was arrested and detained, the relation said further.
According to him, late in the night in her separate cell where she was kept, the police constable came to her pretending as if he was empathising with her when her child was crying and then directed her to come out.
He said that as she came out, the police constable took her to a place within the station where there was a kind of iron bed placed on the floor and a mat on the side.
The relative said further that the police officer laid the mat on the iron-kind of bed and ordered her to lie down on it.
“She wanted to raise an alarm but the police officer quickly cautioned her with a threat to shoot her with a gun in his hand if she dared to make any noise.“To avoid unpleasant situation which could lead to death, she lay down and he had sexual intercourse with her,” he said.
He added that after satisfying himself, the officer took her back to her cell with a warning that a grave consequence waited her if she dared to tell anyone what happened. Not yet done, “the officer came to my cell the following day, like the previous night under the cover of darkness and ordered her for sex. “ This time around she became unconscious.” The incident was confirmed to Daily Sun by Hanbal Muhammed Zubair, the Bauchi state coordinator of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LECON)
According to Zubair, “Our client became unconscious due to injury she sustained on her back from one sharp iron on the bed and her private part which in spite of her weeping did not make the officer budge.”
Zubair said that it was in this unconscious state that two officers who were at the station met Hafsat in the morning and took her to Soro General Hospital where she was admitted for two days and discharged.
“The medical officer kept coming from the hospital to monitor her recovery in the cell,” he said.
The LACON state coordinator said that the criminal act of the officer was brought to the attention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), adding that, “We are equally informed that the case had been reported at the Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in the state headquartres.”
But Zubair expressed concern that there was a deliberate effort to “treat this heinous crime alleged to have been committed by the policeman with kid’s gloves in the guise of spirit de corps. This is totally unacceptable”
The LACON coordinator urged the Commissioner of Police in the state to direct a fresh investigation into the case.
“If the officer involved is found to have a case to answer, then he should be treated like a common criminal and face the full wrath of the law”
The Bauchi State Police Command in a letter addressed to the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria dated September 28, said investigation had been concluded.
From PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi
Monday, October 10, 2011
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