The mother of three, a resident of Igando in Alimosho Local Government of Lagos State, who narrated her ordeal to SaharaReporters noted that after the injuries inflicted on them including their children, the police went ahead and arraigned the family to cover up for the torture.
A housewife, Mrs. Happiness Liberty, has accused the Nigeria Police Force of torturing, detaining herself, her husband, his siblings, her three children including an 11-month-old baby at the Igando division in Lagos State.
The mother of three, a resident of Igando in Alimosho Local Government of Lagos State, who narrated her ordeal to SaharaReporters noted that after the injuries inflicted on them including their children, the police went ahead and arraigned the family to cover up for the torture.
She said that their arraignment was to justify her incarceration with her children in police custody for days with accompanying threats not to grant any interview to the media or her husband and siblings would be killed.
Happiness said their ordeal started from Sunday September 11, 2022, adding that they were tortured and for four days from 11 to 14 September, 2022 without food or water.
While narrating the incident, the mother of three stated that on Sunday, 11 September 2022, they were returning from Church in the evening when a commercial motorcycle otherwise known as “Okada” knocked her husband.
Trouble, she said, began when her husband turned around and asked the driver why he hit him with his bike.
Instead of apologising, the driver who was later identified as a police officer attached to the Igando Police Division questioned whether he knew his identity.
Why the conversation went on, the police officer allegedly slapped her husband.
She further stated that when her husband's siblings, who were some distance behind, came to enquire what was going on, the policeman, who was identified as Martin A, equally slapped her younger sister who was carrying her 11-month-old baby.
In a Save-our-Souls (SOS) account sent to SaharaReporters titled: "Torture and illegal detention of my husband, his siblings and myself and my children," Happiness, further narrated that the slapping of her younger sister who was carrying 11-month-old baby led to a brawl.
She said that some moments later, a team of policemen intercepted them and bundled everybody to the Igando station.
Happiness lamented that when they got to the police station, all the policemen on duty swooped on them, hitting everybody including her children to the extent that one of her husband's siblings slumped and was revived hours later.
"After the beating, they detained my husband, his siblings, myself and my three children, 8 years, 7 years and 11 months. They didn't allow us to make calls. They treated us like criminals. I was released to go home on Monday, 24 hours after starving my children. My husband and his siblings were released from detention on September 14.
"Thereafter, they arraigned us before a Magistrate Court that granted us bail."
Meanwhile, Happiness further disclosed that the said police officer, Martin had been threatening her family if they dared to grant an interview to the media.
Meanwhile, some residents of Igando who spoke with SaharaReporters, on Tuesday described the assaults on Happiness’ family as one of the excesses of the policemen attached to Igando Police Division.
A resident who gave her name of Sharon Alede told SaharaReporters that she had been assaulted sexually by no other person but the Divisional Police Officer, when she was detained in the station after domestic quarrel a neighbour.
"The DPO, SP Gbadegesin sexually assaulted me in the custody with further threat that I would be arraigned in court with criminal offence if there mention what happened in the station to anybody. This happened about two months now. I am speaking out because the excesses of the policemen in Igando station have gone out of hand. We need to speak out now."
When the Divisional Police Officer of Igando police station, SP Gbadegesin, was contacted on telephone, he declined comment on the matter.
Efforts to get the reactions of the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, were not successful as he did not pick his calls at the time of filling this report.