A pregnant pepper seller on Hassan Ogunlana
Street, Ijaiye, Lagos State, has been
traumatised after she was thrown into a police
cell for reporting an assault on her.
The woman, Iyabo Taiwo, had lodged a
complaint at the Meiran Police Station against
a resident, identified simply as Simon, aka
Best, who allegedly pushed her into a drainage
channel.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the case was,
however, turned against her because Simon
was a relative of a senior officer at the station.
It was learnt that Simon had bought some red
peppers from the woman last Monday and was
supposed to collect N50 change.
It was gathered that Taiye went to visit her
ailing husband at a hospital the following day
and did not open shop.
The woman said hardly had she arrived at the
shop on Wednesday with fresh stock when
Simon came to collect the change.
She stated that she told him to come back for
the change, but he suddenly resorted to force
and started taking her goods.
The 30-year-old woman who spoke in Yoruba
said,
“I explained to him
that I had used all the
money on me to buy
peppers and begged
him to give me little
time to sell so that I
will give him the
change.
“But he dipped his
hands into a basket to
pack some peppers.
So, I held his shirt. He
freed himself from my
grip and threw me
into a gutter. I went to
report at the Meiran
Police Station and
some policemen
followed me to arrest
him.
“On getting to the
station, he spoke in
English and Igbo with
a police officer. Then,
a policeman told me
that some people beat
him (Simon) and that I
would be detained
until they arrest those
people. Simon was told
to go.”
The woman said she spent over 24 hours in
detention and was freed after members of a
pepper sellers association she belonged to paid
N4,500 to secure her bail.
She said, “I was locked
up inside a cell. They
didn’t give me food. I
was feeling pains all
over my body.
Members of my
association later
contributed N4,500
before I was released
in the evening of the
following day
(Thursday).
“My pregnancy is over
seven months now. I
have gone to do a scan
at a hospital to know
the condition of my
baby. The result will
be out on Monday
(today).
“The Commissioner of
Police invited me and
some policemen to his
office in Ikeja on
Friday. He was angry
with them and told
them to refund the
N4,500. They asked me
to come for the money
on Monday (today).”
A resident, who begged for anonymity, said
shortly after Taiye was released on Thursday,
Simon allegedly mobilised some thugs to beat
two men, Ope and Muri Waheed, who
cautioned him for asaulting the woman.
Alabatvnews.
