When Abigail Ige, an HND II
student of the Department of
Microbiology, Federal
Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, left her
hostel on Monday for Fayose
Market on Ajilosun Road in
the Ekiti State capital to buy
fingerlings to be used for her
project, she felt there was
nothing to fear because her
mission was a genuine one.
It was gathered that
at the market, a policeman
accosted her and demanded
to know the contents of Ige's
bag. According to
eyewitnesses' accounts, while
Ige saw nothing wrong in the
policeman's demand, his
insistence that the search
would be conducted at a
nearby police station
infuriated the student.
This was the beginning of
trouble for Ige, who is now in
excruciating pain at the
University Teaching Hospital,
Ado-Ekiti.
She said, "I went to Fayose
Market to buy some
fingerlings for my project. As I
was coming back, a policeman
met me and said he wanted to
search my hand bag. I told
him to empty the contents of
the bag right there in the
market because I am aware of
their tricks.
"He said 'no' and snatched the
bag from me and took it to
their station.
After I finished
buying other things I needed, I
went to the station, since it is
not far from where he met
me. As I got there, he said
that he would deal with me
because I refused to allow him
to search my bag in the
market. He asked me to enter
the cell and I refused, because
I knew I had not committed
any offence.
"Thereafter, two policemen
and two policewomen came
out and started beating me.
When I became tired, they
now dragged me inside the
cell. The first policeman,
Femi, came inside the cell
with a plank and hit me on the
head four times. A
policewoman came inside the
cell and pleaded that they
should leave me but they
refused. I later passed out.
But before then, they said that
if I died, nothing would
happen."
The woman, who sold
fingerlings to Ige, saw what
she went through in the hands
of the police and quickly
alerted the polytechnic.
The Rector of the Polytechnic,
Mrs. Taiwo Akande, in an
interview with journalists said
that the case had been
reported to the police
authorities, adding that it took
time before the school
authorities prevailed on the
students not to invade the
police station.
She, however, said that how
the police handled the case
would determine the next step
the school would take.
The Commissioner of Health,
Dr. Femi Thomas, has visited
the student at the hospital to
know how she was responding
to treatment.
A lawmaker representing
Ikere II at the state House of
Assembly, Mr. Bolu
Akomolafe, who also visited
the student, said that the
House would summon the
Commissioner of Police, Ekiti
State Command, Mr. Katso
Kakwe, to the House on the
matter.
Akomolafe said the matter
was of public importance and
it would be given priority
when the House reconvenes
on Wednesday (today).
The Ekiti State Police Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh
Mohammed, said that the command was
already investigating the
matter.
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I THOUGHT THE POLICE IS YOUR FRIEND?
