The Edo State Police Command said the female officer, Inspector Edith Oduma (AP/no 228719), and her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed (AP No.228652), were recommended for dismissal and demotion after they were found guilty by orderly room trial panel set up to investigate her and four other officers over the rape of a female suspect in custody.
The command dismissed insinuations that it plotted to dismiss the officer and demote her husband, Insp. Ibrahim Mohammed, because they exposed one of their colleagues, Sergeant Abraham Uzuobor (F/No. 504694), who allegedly raped a female suspect in custody.
The command, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, SP Moses Yamu, said contrary to reports from certain quarters, the said female officer, Insp. Edith Uduma, was the Charge Room Officer (CRO) on October 7, 2024, the night F/No. 504694 , Sgt Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect in the station.
“The female officer, instead of reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) or the Incident Duty Officer as the case may be, for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, Insp. Ibrahim Mohammed, who conspired with her to unlawfully demand N1 million from the Sergeant to assist him conceal the matter.
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“However, the Sergeant offered only N45,000. Dissatisfied by the offer, they decided to report the erring officer to the DPO and also share the video on social media,” the statement read.
Yamu said following the development, an orderly room trial was initiated against all the officers, which led to the dismissal of Sgt. Abraham and Inspector Edith Uduma.
He added that her husband, Insp Ibrahim Mohammed, however, was reduced to the rank of Sergeant for getting criminally involved in demanding money to conceal such a gross violation of the Standard Operating Procedure of the Nigeria Police.
He said no amount of propaganda, disinformation or misinformation can absolve her or the husband from facing the punishment meted on them.
“Anyone of them that is displeased with the judgement has the right to appeal as stipulated in the Police Act and Regulation,” he said.
Recall that on October 10, at about 9pm, in South Ibie police division, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, Sergeant Uzuobor allegedly removed a 17-year-old female suspect from cell and raped her in the admin office.
Inspector Edith, who noticed the cell key was not with her, rushed to the cell and discovered the suspect detained for receiving stolen property was not in the cell. She subsequently went to the admin office where she caught the sergeant in the act and recorded the incident.
But instead of informing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) or the Incident Duty Officer, she allegedly called her husband, and two others who are policemen and then collected the sum of N45,000 from the sergeant to conceal the crime.
She was alleged to have on the 11th of October 2024, at about 4 am, called the Sergeant again to either pay her an additional N1 million or she would post the video on social media.
When he refused to pay, Edith allegedly posted the video on social media which led to the arrest of the Sergeant.
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