Group protests as police detain nursing mother, 9-month-old baby in Osun

A civil society organisation, Women Arise for Change Initiative, has protested against the illegal detention of a nursing mother, Mrs. Rofiat Oladepo and her nine-month old son in lieu of her husband by the Zone 11 of the Nigeria Police Force.
Our correspondent gathered that Osogbo, the capital of Osun State is the headquarters of the Zone 11 of the Nigeria Police Force which has Mr. Leye Oyebade as the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
We gathered that Mrs. Oladepo and her baby were arrested on the April 24, 2019 at Dural Toaheed, Oke Anu area of Ede and taken to Zone 11, Gbongan Road, Oshogbo where they were kept in inhuman conditions by the police.
They were later released and given the sum of N500 (five hundred Naira) only as their transport fare back to Ede after several hours of detention.
But, the protesters while protesting against the detention of the nursing mother and her baby, expressed displeasure over the conduct of the police, saying that the woman and her son were not expected to suffer for an offence they did not commit.
The protest, which took place on Monday and led by the President of Women Arise for Change Initiative in Osogbo, 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. Oladepo and her son.
Okei-Odumakin described the action of the police as a violation of the victims’ universally recognised fundamental human rights and the law of the land.
She asserted that, “We are 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 the 24th April, 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”.
Okei-Odumakin while speaking during the protest to the AIG office in Osogbo further informed 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 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-months old son.
Oyebade in his reaction appealed to the protesters to stay further action.He promised to carry out immediate investigation into the matter and ensure that justice is done forthwith.
Oyebade said, “One of the hallmarks of our ethics is policing with the fear of God aside the general rule of policing with integrity.”

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