Probe abuse of women arrested by police in Abuja, foundation charge FG
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
The Rule of Law Development Foundation (ROLDF) has called on the federal government to investigate the alleged abuse of over 100 women arrested in night clubs in Abuja by the police.
Condemning the attack in a statement by its Program and Legal Officer, Augusta Yaakugh, the foundation called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Minister of Police Affairs and Minister of Internal Affairs, Abdulrahman Dambazau to submit a joint memorandum on the arrest and alleged abuse of the women by the police to the next federal executive council meeting.
This according to ROLDF is to enable President Muhammadu Buhari set up a commission of inquiry into the incident with a view to identifying the culprits as well as bringing them to justice.
Recall that some police officers and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had on April 17 raided a popular night club in Abuja, Caramelo and arrested over 30 women alleged to be sex workers.
A repeat of the raid was carried out on Sunday where another 70 women were apprehended. The women were taken to Utako Police Station in Abuja where they were detained.
Some of the arrested women were reportedly released after they were profiled, while others were charged for engaging in prostitution. However, a few others were allegedly sexually assaulted by police officers.
“The violence inflicted on these women was vicious and targeted. They suffered this treatment because they were women and these officers were confident that they could get away with it.
The action of the officers and men of police is unacceptable and connotes deliberate targeting of women within the Abuja environs.
“It has been persistently reiterated that it is important to create sensitization and awareness programmes that will encourage women to report cases of abuse to authorities and that police officers should receive civic education and training on issues of violence and its effects on victims as this will prepare them to handle such cases better.
“Where then do we turn to when these acts against women are allegedly being perpetrated by officers of the Nigeria Police Force who are constitutionally mandated to protect and serve.
“The foundation will not hesitate to bring a class action proceeding in court in order to enforce the rights of hapless Nigerians that are daily subjected to police excesses, high handedness and abuse,” it stated.
The group urged the federal authorities to investigate all the allegations of abuse, ill-treatment and violence, including rape and other forms of sexual assaults against these women and the immediate prosecution of agents found culpable.
Our correspondent reports that although, prostitution is illegal in the FCT, law enforcement officials have used it as an excuse to assault and harass innocent women who go out at night in the city.
When such raids on night clubs are carried out, the taskforce team have been repeatedly accused of molesting women they believe are ‘scantily dressed’ accusing them of been prostitutes.
Describing the development as barbaric, foundation expressed disgust that the FCTA joint task team had unilaterally and without respect for the rule of law, chosen to contain any environmental nuisance the night club allegedly was causing.
