In Ogun State, a two-month -old girl, was arrested and paraded with her mother as her father was suspected to be a dare-devil robber. The mother was taken into custody along the toddler identified as Oyinkansola.
Policemen stormed the residence of the alleged armed robber, Ismail Adeosun, at Ago-Ika in Abeokuta North local government area and, because they could not find the suspect, they arrested every Adeosun available.
Oyinkansola was celebrated with wide media coverage, but in a grotesque manner.
Tongues are wagging over the propriety of the action of the police. Many are asking what offence the baby committed to warrant the treatment. .
Little Oyinkansola was among six suspects paraded by the Ogun State Police Command at its headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital, in connection with alleged armed robbery and murder cases which have claimed the lives of no fewer than six people.
Justifying the action, the police said Oyinkansola’s father, Ismail, 26, who was at large, was identified as the ring leader of an armed robbery team.
The mother, Fausat, 19 , was said to be the armourer of the team, Oyinkasola’s uncle and aunt, Tobi Adeosun, 15, and Iyabode Adeosun respectively, were also not spared as the whole family were cooling their feet in police custody. When challenged on the allegation leveled against her by the police, Oyinkansola’s mother denied the knowledge of her husband’s robbery business but said that he (Ismail) operated a film house in Igbo-Ora area of Oyo State.
She said that when she noticed that a gun was brought to the house, her husband threatened to kill her if she informed anybody about it. “On Sunday, he came to me and I asked him whether he had removed his gun from my house because we don’t live together but he said he and his friend, Danladi, were around to pick the gun, I never knew he was a thief until he brought the gun to my house”, she said.
“He asked me whether I had told anybody and even threatened to kill me if I had informed anybody and that he will run away and leaves me to suffer on his behalf, but I told him I never informed anyone.
“Unfortunately, the police came on Monday and asked me about the gun but I told them his brother had taken the gun away. That was how I was arrested,” she said.
However the state police commissioner said investigation was on and that the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of the investigation. “This woman has been keeping gun for her husband and his 15- year- old brother is also the armourer of the gang,” he said.
