Ikeja Police turn away three women bullied, traumatized by hotel owner

Police rape Nigeria

We feel cheated and neglected by the authority on whom the law has vested the responsibility to protect us

When Suzie, a Lagos-based lady and her two friends were bullied by a 52-year old man, they ran to the Area F Police Command in Ikeja for help.  But in a narration of the incident sent to us, Citizen  Suzie said the police officers on duty ignored their complaints and sided with their attacker for pecuniary gains.

Below is Suzie’s submission to Nigeria Police Watch.

Three of my friends and I went for a barbecue bash at Grand Villa Hotel, Sonibare Estate, Maryland, on December 3 at 6 p. m. We were early so we sat in the restaurant to order for things while waiting for it to start.

A man stood afar, and pointing towards us, said: “Come here!” repeatedly. My friend was like, ‘that can’t be me he’s calling’. The man came closer and wanted to know what my friend had said while he was motioning. I said she said ‘Courtesy demands that you talk to a lady gently’.

He started yelling, ‘I am the f***ing owner of this place. I’m 52  and old enough to be your dad! Get out of here!’. As we were leaving, he started calling the security. I turned to him and said, ‘We are not thieves, neither did we come in here illegally. We are leaving, don’t call the security on us.’

He slapped me and pulled my hair for over 10 minutes. After guests tried unsuccessfully to free me, my friends brought out her camera to record the incident. Then he left me and went after her. He hit her hand, threw punches to her mouth, grabbed her hair and sent her head against the wall. Thank God she blocked her head with her hands.

My third friend lifted a chair in self-defense and he left my friend, whose face was now pressed against her hands on the wall, for the third. Before he got to her, more people had gathered.

Traumatized and in search of help, we left for the nearby police station. At the Area F Police Station, they said they could not receive our complaints. We told them we just wanted to lodge complaints. One told the other to take it and left the counter.

The one he transferred the assignment to said she had not resumed duty for that day. She advised sarcastically that we should go and arrest the tormentor ourselves. That didn’t make sense so we left. Guess what? They know and fear our tormentor. With all due respect, the police is corrupt.

We left to nurse our wounds ourselves. I feel cheated and neglected by the authority on whom law enforcement is vested, and who has the responsibility of protecting me.

I hear our oppressor bullies a lot of people. Please, in God’s name, let him be stopped before he kills someone.

By CR Suzie

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