How DPO Apata Police Station , Ibadan ordered , supervised and watched my beating by six officers at his station - Barrister Mrs Odewale

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We are investigating - Police PRO 

A  lady Barrister - At - Law , Mrs Odewale has narrated to our reporter how a divisional Police Officer stationed at Apata Police Station , Ibadan , Oyo state ordered six of his men , two ladies and four men to beat her , seize her phone and later locked  her up from 12 noon to 4 pm on Tuesday 22 march 2016  .

Mrs Odewale who was at the Apata police station , Ibadan on behalf of her client said , " I was at the police station on behalf of my client who has been alleged of building an underground on his site . When I got there , I saw that those working on the site have been arrested and  handcuffed .I have no problem with them being arrested because I think that is the police way of getting to the owner of the site but I have objection to their being handcuffed because up to that time nothing  have been found against them .

I  sought to see the DPO . Immediately I  entered his office , he greeted me with scorn and hostility . 

Realizing the cat and mouse nature between the Police and Lawyers , I smiled and told him my mission. 

He replied with the mien of authority that he was going to inspect the site and I decided to follow them . 

I got out of his office and I took my phone , snapped the pictures of the masons who had been handcuffed .

as I finished doing this , two policemen accosted me and tried to seize the phone . I asked the why , and they replied that I took their picture and I said no sir . i only took the pictures of the agents of my clients .

Then they tried to forcefully take the phone from me by twisting  my wrist  . This I  resisted with all my strength and I got put off the station . 

I got into my car , put a call through to the Chairman of Female Lawyers Association . As I  was about talking to her six officers surrounded my car ,four male and two females while the DPO was standing belching order  to get the phone from me at all cost and that 'the Commissioner of Police has ordered that the phone must be retrieved at all cost '

And acting on his order , which he said emanated from the Oyo state commissioner of Police , the DPO stood  akimbo  supervised  and watched with glee the beating of my life  by six members of the Nigeria Police at Apata Police Station , Ibadan , Oyo State . 

They succeeded in breaking the phone and at the presence of members of keke Marwa operators who were at the station for a matter , I was beaten , assaulted , disgraced , dishonoured and humiliated .

One of the policemen was saying loudly we will beat you and nothing will come out of it . This is not the first time we have been dealing with charge and bail lawyers like you .

I am just too terrified . I never envisaged this could happen to me . A woman and being a Lawyer . I respect the Nigerian Police and hold the agency in high esteem . I am still at loss that it could happened to me , at the Police station under the watchful and order of a DPO who is supposed to prevent such a humiliating and degrading scene .

To worsen the matter , watching the incident was a member of the Keke Marwa operator  who said loudly "emi ko le gba Lawyer yi fun any case . Lawyer ti o ye ko protect mi from abuse ohun gan ni nwon wa nlu  ni police station ( I  cannot engage this lawyer . For if a lawyer who is expected to protect me from being abused is now a subject of gross abuse and ridicule by the police and in a police station) 

It still looks like a day dream to me . It has impugned on my credibility , professional integrity has been polluted , stained and damaged beyond repair  , my entity as a woman has be rubbished .

I will seek for JUSTICE on this . 

I cannot imagine a lawyer or anybody at all  being ordered to be beaten  and assaulted by A DPO at a Police Station by Police men . This is not the type of Nigeria we all pray for .

However , the Oyo State Police PRO in a telephone conversation with reporters said that the Oyo State Commissioner of Police has no hand in whatever might have happened between Apata DPO police and the lawyer 

"The Oyo State Police Commissioner   did not give such an order and has no hand in whatever might happened  at Apata Police station". 

He confirmed that there was an incident between a Lady lawyer and some policemen which is being investigated