Tuesday, June 9, 2015 Woman accuses 4 policemen of torturing her over stolen iPad

Four policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Command have been accused by a trader at Balogun Market in Lagos, Karamat Eleha, of torturing her over false claims that she stole an iPad at the Idumagbo area in Lagos state on May 14th.

According to Punch, the police said a woman who lives in the Lekki axis in Lagos had laid a complaint to the police that she was robbed of her iPad and other belongings. The police officers took their search to Idumagbo Lagos Island where Karamat and her mother lived in a two storey building.

When they arrived, karamat was not at home as she was said to have gone for a fellowship close to her house.

“Around 10.20pm on May 14, I just returned home from a fellowship when the policemen asked me about a missing iPad and I told them I knew nothing about it. They checked my bag, but nothing was found there.”she said

Karamat said the police insisted the tracker device installed on the iPad indicated that it was in an office within the compound. She said she then proceeded to the next street within the area to collect the keys to the office which was owned by a pastor. On arrival, the police said the tracker device indicated that the iPad was in the street where she was coming from. Without any prove that the device was with her, she claimed they whisked her to their station where she was stripped her naked and beat badly.

“They took me to a room which they called ‘theatre’. They stripped me naked and tortured me for hours. When the pain became unbearable, it occurred to me that I saw a neighbour, Mr. Goriola (Baba Ibeji), giving an iPad to his wife while I was going out in the morning on the fateful day. I told them and they went to arrest the wife that same night. The following day, Baba Ibeji was arrested. When they realised that I was bleeding, they took me to a nurse, who charged them N3,000. They later gave the nurse N1,000 to treat me.”she said

Karamat's mother while narrating what happened to her daughter, insisted that the police most foot the bill for the medical attention her daughter is in dire need of.

“Her legs were fractured. That Saturday, it was an officer called Abba Kyari, who ordered them (the cops) to release her immediately. He shouted when he saw the wounds. From there, we took her to a clinic in our area and she was given injections and drugs. When her condition did not improve, we went to the Lagos Island Health Centre. On June 2, I took her to a ‘bone centre’ but I could only afford the bill for treating her left leg. I want her to be treated by the police.”

A resident in her area who was not comfortable with her maltreatment alerted the Commissioner of Police who intervened and instructed that she be released immediately

“They stormed our compound like night marauders. They said they were from SARS. They were led by one Abiola, popularly called Abbey. They said they were looking for an iPad and that a tracker indicated it was within our building. They wanted to break into the office downstairs, but I cautioned them to wait till daybreak for the occupants to come. We were on it when Eleha returned from the fellowship. I told Karamat to go and get the key from the occupant. When she came back, they said the tracker had suddenly indicated the iPad was no longer within the building; that it was going towards Princess and Alkatama streets, where Karamat passed through to collect the key. Even after Baba Ibeji was arrested, they refused to release her. That was why I sent a text message to the commissioner.”the resident who did not want to be named said The Lagos state Police spokesperson while commenting on the matter, described as false Karamat's claims that she was tortured “An iPad was stolen and was traced to her compound. It was observed that the iPad was on the streets she (Karamat) passed through and she was invited to the station. There was no issue of torture. I don’t know what torture she is talking about.”he said