A young Nigerian woman has told of how she was framed for robbery by the police, The PUNCH reports.
The lady, identified simply as Esther, narrated how she spent three years in Surulere Police Division and Panti Police Station for an offence she knew nothing about.
She explained that she was locked up in prison as a 17-year-old girl.
According to her, she was arrested and framed for robbery by the policemen.
Recounting her ordeal in a short video shared by Folu Adeboye, the wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Esther said she was sent on an errand when the incident happened in 2010.
She noted that the policemen arrested everyone in the compound, including herself – who was only waiting to purchase dye for her mother.
The victim lamented that she was tortured until she unwillingly confessed to participating in the robbery.
She narrated, “My mother sent me an errand. She has a provision shop. So, she sent me on an errand to help her get things she sells in the shop. Outside the compound (where I went to get the items), there was a van there. there were other people in the van. They just pushed us inside, without answering our question on what happened.
“Then, my parents were looking for me. They went to where I went to get dye, and they told them what happened. Then, they came to Surulere police station. As time went by, they were asking for some amount of money from my parents.
“My parents being the church-type didn’t want to pay. They said they were very sure that I did not know anything about it. So, they insisted that they won’t pay any money.”
Esther added that she was later tortured with an electric shock and stripped naked by the policemen.
Narrating her excruciating experience, Esther noted that she was tied and could not stand at a point.
The 26-year-old victim added, “From Surulere police station, they took us to Panti State CID. Immediately we got there, they took us to a staff room. They told my parents to wait outside that they just wanted to ask me some questions. They took me to another room inside that staff room – an open floor – and they asked me to undress. I refused because I don’t know why. I was tortured with an electric shock. When I woke up, I found myself naked in front of policemen; and they started torturing me again.
“I was tied with my hands and leg at the back together. They just wanted me to say that yes I did it. But of course, I didn’t do anything. I was just 17-year-old and I was not ready to say I did it.
“The torture was too much that I couldn’t stand anymore and I had to agree that yes I did it because that was the only way that they said they would stop torturing me.”
Esther said her case was later to a high court in 2013 when the Social Action team intervened.
“The Social Action team came in because I have been in prison for three years and my file was dumped in court that was not sitting; so they helped to transfer it to a sitting court.
“They were actually paying my lawyer to hasten up the case. Because it was hastened, it led to me being discharged and acquitted,”
she added.
