Women Arise for Change Initiative recently stormed Osogbo, Osun State capital, to protest against the illegal detention of a nursing mother, Mrs. Rofiat Oladepo, and her nine months old son by the Zone 11 of the Nigeria Police Force.

The protest, which was led by the President of Women Arise and the winner of the American Government’s Award of International Woman of Courage, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, had over 200 women and men protesters who defied the scorching sun to express their displeasure over the illegal detention of Mrs Rofiat Oladepo and her son, a minor, a nine months old who were arrested and kept in custody of the Nigeria Police at the Zone 11 Headquarters in Osogbo in lieu of her husband.

The organisation described the action of the police as a violation of the victims' universally-recognised fundamental human rights and the law of the land.

In her remarks while being received by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone, AIG Leye Oyebade, and his team, Dr Okei-Odumakin asserted that the group "is pained and disappointed that the Nigeria Police held in custody a nursing mother and her baby, in lieu of her husband.

“Not only were they arrested and detained by proxy, they were also detained beyond the constitutionally sanctioned period. It is most nauseating to learn that Mrs Oladepo and her baby who were arrested on April 24, 2019 at Dural Toaheed, Oke Anu area of Ede and taken to Zone 11, Gbogan road, Oshogbo, were kept in inhuman conditions, only to be released later and given the sum of N500 (five hundred Naira) only as their transport fare back to Ede.”

Dr Okei-Odumakin further informed AIG Oyebade that since their release from Police custody, Mrs. Rofiat Oladepo and her baby have been hospitalised. She therefore demanded that the officers and men of the Nigerian Police who conducted such unprofessional and illegal act be unmasked and brought to book while also requesting for the payment of medical bills being incurred by the victims at the hospital and immediate Public apology to Mrs Oladepo and her 9-month old son.

While responding to the demands of Women Arise President, AIG Oyebade appealed to the protesters to please stay further action as he would carry out immediate investigation into the matter and ensure that justice is done forthwith.

“One of the hallmarks of our ethics, is policing with the fear of God aside the general rule of policing with integrity,” AIG Oyebade said.

He further said that such impunity would never be allowed to thrive under his purview, as he further expressed the willingness of the Nigeria Police Force, under the incumbent leadership, to collaborate with the civil society in promoting a people-friendly police force that will ensure total compliance with human rights violations.

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