Rape Allegation: DPO granted bail, as panel visits his office, toilet

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, accused of raping a detainee mother of two in Lagos has been released on bail after three days in detention.

He was granted bail yesterday as more allegations emerged that he had faced similar charges in the past.

One of such cases was allegedly reported against the suspect while he was serving at the Zone 2 Police, Onikan.

The IGP, Mr. Abubakar weekend, directed that a discreet investigation be carried out on the rape allegation.

The three-man team of investigators was said to have been drawn from the Lagos State Police Public Relations Office, Human Rights and X-Squad, which is expected to make its findings in the rape saga known to members of the public this week.

The DPO, alongside seven other police officers on duty on the day of the alleged incident, were summoned last Friday for interrogation at the state Police Command, but some of the accused persons, according to police sources, claimed ignorance of the matter as they said they went to eat at the period and never saw when the lady was invited by the DPO into his office for alleged “debriefing.’’

The three-man investigative panel reportedly visited the police division, where the alleged act took place, Saturday, to inspect the location of the room in the DPO’s office where the detainee was said to have been raped, including the toilet where the mother of two claimed to have washed herself later as instructed by the DPO, as part of its investigation.

Five of the policemen earlier detained alongside the DPO were released by the panel, on the ground that they were not directly involved.

Commending the IGP for his prompt response following its petition on the issue, the National Coordinator, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said: “Were it not for the early intervention of the IGP, this matter would very likely have been swept under the carpet as had happened in the past.

“NOPRIN has continued to follow up on the progress of investigation and is satisfied that the investigation team has made far-reaching and illuminating inroad in their effort to unravel the truth and recommend appropriate disciplinary and remedial actions.

‘’With the confirmation of the narrative by the victim in her statement to the police, especially her description of the DPO’s office and the illustration made of it; and with the conflicts in the various statements made by the DPO and other detained police officers on duty on the day of the incident, there is no doubt about the veracity and credibility of the victim’s claims.

“We call on the investigating team to remain focused, steadfast and professional and resist any pressure to compromise the investigation.

“We expect that investigation should be concluded pretty early and that on conclusion of investigation, the report will be made public and appropriate sanctions imposed on the culprits.”

Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Ngozi Braide, said investigation was still on, that adding that findings would be made public when concluded.