WATCH: Lady cries after Lagos policemen brutalised and labelled her prostitute
When VP Yemi Osinbajo ordered the overhaul and reform of SARS in August, not a few Nigerians jubilated that the harassment and ill-treatment of innocent citizens had finally come to an end.
Barely five months after, the officers are apparently now back on the prowl for victims.
A recent victim of SARS operatives’ harassment, Odera, narrated how she was brutalised and slut shamed early Sunday morning in Ajah, Lagos.
Odera said she was waiting for a ride with her cousin when the officers riding in a commercial bus pounced on them.
“Danfo bus approaches as if to pick us. I’m like we can take a bus right? Cuz says no it’s all men. Tells the bus never mind,” she narrated.
“She says this is December season let’s not risk it.
“Man in the passenger seat shouts ‘Come here! Who the hell are you? Come and enter this bus!’
“He starts to get out and cuz (sic) says ‘run’.
“I was pushed to the ground mid-run and was dragged by a man carrying gun.
“Cuz (sic) never made it far before the rest of the men jumped out and started slapping her, dragging her into the bus.
“We were screaming. They were beating. Some guy I know from the building came to help us. First time we were hearing they were police.
“They told the man begging for us they said they are police and were trying to help us. So why were you now beating us? Coz (sic) we screamed and ran and embarrassed them and we must go to cell simply for that reason.”
Odera said they could barely believe the gun-wielding beasts were real officers.
“Somewhere in the shuffle they managed to get me and cuz handcuffed together,” she said.
“Cuz (sic) was super scared, screaming and crying I decided I have to take control. Told her let’s go. Finally spotted someone in the bus wearing police cap. Got in, they closed the door sped off next thing I heard is “bloody prostitutes.”
“Heh? Called my mom. Told her everything.
“Man with police cap is eyeing me whole time. Tries to snatch the phone and slaps me. She asks to speak to the man. He says oh you are the madam that asked them to go hustle, please we don’t have anything to say to you. Hands me back the phone.”
The young ladies were taken to the Ajah police station in cuffs and allegedly called “cheap prostitutes”.
“That’s when I remembered I have an online officer friend. Call him and he speaks to them. We have already arrived Ajah station. Sit on floor, what’s your name, go for booking,” Odera said.
“Cuffs are cutting off our circulation. Pleas to loosen are responded to with insults.”
“They finally come uncuff us and give me my phone. They ask us to leave, not before asking us to stand for another round of insults. I’m done at this point. I start walking away dude says I can send you back in there.
“I’m in awe. They just beat us and wasted our time for no real reason. Cuz is still trying to explain no one identified as police so we were running for our lives. I say sorry and thank you can I go now? He eyes me, says get out and mutters cheap prostitute as we leave.
“My body hurts. My favorite tights are ruined. I’m grateful for my life but I’m worried about Nigeria. I think I may have finally lost hope,” she added.
