Lagos police shield crime suspects from prosecution – Rights activists

Some heads of units within the police in Lagos are shielding suspected perpetrators of crime from being charged to court for prosecution, our correspondent has learnt.
It was gathered that suspects in several criminal cases, ranging from child defilement to domestic violence, in the last two weeks, have allegedly been shielded from being arraigned in court by the various Investigating Police Officers.
There are also allegations that many of the IPOs, after receiving petitions from concerned individuals against suspects, truncate the process in the course of investigations and even surreptitiously set the suspect free.
A human rights activist, Ebenezer Omejalile, confirmed this development, alleging that suspects dragged to the police by some civil society groups in the past one week had been set free without being charged to court.
He said, “I can authoritatively confirm to you that the perpetrators of many of the sexual abuse related cases and other domestic violence reports that we have and have reported at different police stations across Lagos State in the last one week, from all indications, have been  released.
“The IPOs tried to truncate due process by not charging the cases to court. And this is very worrisome. I have cases that have been reported at different police stations in the last one to two weeks without the police charging the perpetrators to court. There was a case of defilement, which occurred on December 24, 2017 in Agege.
“The case was reported by a medical social worker at the state hospital. The name of the perpetrator is Amos, age 39 years, while the victim is 13 years old. The IPO is one Mrs. Ilori of Pen Cinema Police Station Agege. The IPO has not charged the case to court till date and I heard that the suspect has been set free.
“Another instance is a case of sexual abuse, which occurred on December 31, 2017 at Shomolu. The perpetrator’s name is Kazeem Lawal, aged 38 years, and lives at 29 Awofeso Street Shomolu. The victim is a 13-year-old girl and the abuse was confirmed and treated at Mirabel Centre, LASUTH, Ikeja. The IPO is a woman, Inspector Adiat of Onipanu Division. But the case has yet to be taken to court while the suspect is currently on bail.”
Corroborating the human rights activist, a top shot at the Office of Public Defender, who did not want her name mentioned, said, “From what we have observed so far, IPOs during their investigations usually deploy craftiness to frustrate the case. Sometimes they even go as far as releasing the suspect, who is expected to be charged to court. So, it is the duty of the court to release the suspect, if not found guilty of the allegation. But it is not for the IPO to release suspects.
“On our part as public defender, we do our best to ensure that we protect the rights of individuals and see that justice is upheld.”
Our correspondent learnt that the suspect in a case reported at the Human Rights Unit of Ikotun Police Station about a six-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped through her vagina and anus by an adult neighbour, was released by one Sgt. Juliana after she had allegedly collected some bribe.
Medical examination carried out on the victim showed that the minor was violently assaulted.
“The report showed that the girl was badly abused,” a resident, simply identified as Mama Bola, told our correspondent.
“The family received the Mirabel’s result on the 6th. The suspect was meant to be charged to court, but the guarantor did not produce him. But I think the family of the girl is trying to settle out of court,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Public relations Officer, Superintendent Chike Oti, said, “I will do findings about the cases and get back to you. If the officers are culpable over the case, police authorities will not take it lightly with them. But let me do the findings.”