The Ondo State Police Command has debunked reports of its officers inflicting wounds on a nurse while enforcing the curfew imposed in the state to prevent the spread of the viral coronavirus infection.
POLITICS NIGERIA learned that Modupe Ajape, a nurse at the General Hospital, Ode-Irele, alleged that she was left with bruises on parts of her body by some policemen while on her way to work to attend to an emergency case on Monday.
The Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in Irele, Lucky Aremu, had accused the police of playing hide and seek with the case despite receiving a report on it.
“The police are now denying their participation, saying it was miscreants that threw something at the bike and not their officers. How can miscreants mount roadblock with police officers? There are tendencies to cover their ugly act,” Aremu said on Monday.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday night, the Police Commissioner, Undie Adie, said his attention has been drawn to a pictorial publication of a purported assault on a nurse by officers of Ondo Police officers.
In a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA by the spokesperson of the command, Tee Leo-Ikoro, it was complete defamation of the ethics of the security organisation.
While narrating the chain of events, the police boss said it was a case of a lone serious motorcycle accident that occurred around 8 pm last Wednesday.
It involved one Red Qlink unregistered motorcycle ridden by one Friday Morris of Gbele street, Ode-Irele and a passenger seating, Mrs. Ajape Modupe, ‘f’ of General hospital, Ode-Irele.
He narrated: “To ascertain the facts that there is nothing to cover up as alleged by the National Association of the Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and that the case has nothing to do with officers of Ondo Police Command, except that they received the complaints and acted accordingly, here are the statements of some principal actors in the story.”
According to the police spokesman, Mrs. Ajape received an emergency call to return to the hospital on the night of April 22, 2020 at about 2020 hrs, and that she took a bike, on their way they were stopped by a team of Community policing men and after identifying herself as a nurse they were let go.
“It happened a second time, but the third time they met another group who threw a stick at the motorcycle conveying her and in an attempt by the rider to dodge the stick he lost control, resulting to the accident.
“Friday Morris, the rider of the motorcycle had this to say. That at about 2030 hrs, the victim boarded his motorcycle to General Hospital, Ode-Irele. That along the way he saw some vigilante and stopped the bike to enable his pillion explained herself as there was a curfew, they were allowed go, but as they were leaving the Vigilante, some boys he cannot identify threw a stick at his bike which made him lose control that resulted in their accident,” he said.
Also, the command boss quoted Bayode Johnson, a member of the Vigilante group and the owner of the unregistered motorcycle, saying he was on duty with other members of his group when the accident happened.
“… and that being the leader of the Vigilante he volunteered his bike to convey the victims to the hospital. He also said they only tried to stop the rider who was on top speed but they never cause of the accident.”
The commissioner, however, disclosed that the Police under his supervision would remain friendlier to all, while urging those with the intent to destroy the cordial relationship the people to desist.
