Policeman Did This To A Woman For Not Wearing Face Mask

Prince Wiro the human rights activist has charged the Rivers State Police Command to investigate and prosecute its operatives accused of arresting and raping a woman for not wearing face mask.

The woman who is a 32 years old widow said that policemen attached to the Sakpenwa Police Division, Tai Local Government Area, arrested her on Tuesday, July 28 because she wasn't wearing a face mask, then took her to a guest house where one of them raped her while threatening her with a gun.

She said, "I was returning from Bori to Port Harcourt when I saw the police officers at a checkpoint. They arrested me for not wearing face mask. They kept me for a long time there.

 "Then they took me from one place to another, claiming they want to take me to the police station but never took me to anyone.

 "They took me to a guest house after some time, where one of them raped me till morning. His name is Inspector Peter Iba of Sakpenwa Police Station."

Speaking his mind concerning the story Wiro charged the police command to "open immediate investigation into the alleged rape of this woman by a serving officer."

He said there is no justification for the punishment of rape to be meted out to a woman because she broke Rivers State Government order on the use of face mask. He added that he expects the police to take this matter serious that we know there is a recent order from the Inspector General of Police charging every Command to do everything possible to make rape a thing of the past in the society.

While being arrested, the victim had raised an alarm in a text message posted on a WhatsApp media platform.

She said said she was been taken to a guest house just because of 100 Naira face mask that she can’t believe it was happening to her. He wants to sleep with her. She's dying. He wouldn’t let her pick any call. He threatened to seize her phone.

The Police Command in the state reacting to the allegation through the Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers Command, Nnamdi Omoni, said, "After hearing about this, we immediately invited the lady and heard from her, then she made a written statement and Investigation has started. The matter is receiving urgent attention. The lady has made her statement and efforts are on, to unveil the identities of the officers alleged to have involved in the act for immediate action.