Missing phone: Lawyers give Edo CP 24 hours to investigate insertion of pepper in girl’s private part

By Charles Kumolu

BENIN—The League of Patriotic Lawyers has given Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olusegun Odumosu, 24 hours to unravel those behind the torture and insertion of pepper into a girl’s private part in Benin City over alleged stealing of a mobile phone.

Chairman of the platform and former Student Union President of the University of Benin, Mr. Abubakar Yesufu, who said this in a statement yesterday, also urged the state Director, Department of State Services, DSS, to be involved in the investigation.

A video of the incident, seen by Vanguardyesterday, showed the girl being stripped naked by a group of people, who inserted pepper into her private parts for allegedly stealing a phone.

File: Lawyers

The unidentified girl was heard crying and saying she didn’t steal any phone, while she was being humiliated by the crowd.

Yesufu said: “The League of Patriotic Lawyers has given the Edo State Commissioner of Police 24 hours to arrest and commence prosecution of all the street urchins behind this barbaric, inhuman, wicked, ungodly and unacceptable act, whose video has gone viral on the social media.

“Failure to unravel the perpetrators would lead to serious legal consequences against the various security agencies, especially the Police and Director of DSS in the state. This ungodly act shows that law and order have broken down in Benin.

“We call on the governor, who is undoubtedly unaware of this devilish act, and the Secretary to the State Government, a very hard working and God-fearing man, to ensure that the perpetrators are tracked and punished accordingly.

“We are not concerned about the merit of this case at this moment, but the exhibition of extreme cruelty which is completely alien to our revered culture and tradition.’’