BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Condemnation has trailed the arrest of a 32-year-old lady, Busayo Ajayi by men of the Osun State Police Command for allegedly jilting her boyfriend, identified as Oluwafemi Clement.
The Point gathered that Busayo had ended her relationship with Clement four months ago over the man’s alleged constant violence against her.
It was further learned that Clement, who had traveled overseas, returned to Nigeria recently and took some policemen from Ataoja Police Station in Osogbo to the residence of the lady behind Bafao Hotel, Agunbaelewo area, Osogbo, and arrested her.
The police apprehend Busayo on Sunday evening despite appeals by her neighbours and kept her in their custody till the time of this report.
Sources in the police revealed that Clement claimed he rented an apartment for Busayo, bought her furniture and phone during their courtship and had instructed the police to arrest her in order to recover those items.
The Point reliably gathered that the police team from Ataoja Station was paid by the complainant to track the phone number of Busayo to her residence before she was nabbed.
Meanwhile, a non governmental organization in the state, Value Female Network, has condemned Busayo’s arrest in strong terms and described it as unlawful.
According to the Executive Director of VFN, Dr Costly Aderibigbe-Saba, the police ought to have protected the lady against further alleged maltreatment from Clement rather than violating her freedom through the arrest.
Aderibigbe-Saba accused the police of denying the suspect the right of hearing and that the force was planning to invade the lady’s apartment to cart away her property.
“A 32-year-old lady who resides behind Bafao Hotel, Agunbelewo area Osogbo was unlawfully arrested and detained this evening (Sunday) by men of the police force from the Ataoja police division.
“We have spoken with the Police Public Relations Officer to secure her release but all efforts have not yielded.
“She was hijacked this evening by the Police on the instruction of her ex-boyfriend whom she broke up with 4 months ago on account of re-current GBV (Gender Based Violence).
“The boyfriend in question has instructed the police not to release her until morning (Monday) and they are planning to vandalize the girl’s apartment to cart away all her property which the ex-boyfriend claimed that he gave her money to procure.
“Please, this lady has done nothing warranting her to be detained overnight. We demand her immediate release and protection from harm. It is very sad that in a century where stakeholders are fighting GBV and discouraging it from all fronts, the police, saddled with responsibility to protect the citizens are the ones exposing them to danger. This abuse of power by the police and this Clement of a man cannot stand,” she maintained.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, did not pick calls put across to her telephone.
