Kwara Police Clears Air on Story Surrounding Detainment of Dismissed Soldier with her Baby
The Kwara state police command has reacted to a story circulating online about the purported detainment of a dismissed soldier with her baby by the Kwara state police, the police public relations officer of theKwara state command, Dsp Okasanmi Ajayi in a press release cleared air on the alleged controversy, whilst alleging the lawyer in charge of the case of intentionally distorting facts.
He further stated that the dismissed soldier, ex-Lcpl Blessing Egbogwu is a suspect of armed robbery, an offence which isn’t bailable except by injunctions of a competent court of law, hence, he charged the general public to always cross check their facts before going public with it.
In a press release which was obtained by our reporter, it reads thus: “The attention of the Kwara State Police Command has been drawn to a report circulating in the social media as headlined above. The Command wishes to state categorically that the story as reported is actually standing truth on its head and a ploy to get an unmerited public sympathy.
It continued: “The fact of the case is that, the dismissed soldier, ex-Lcpl Blessing Egbogwu is a suspect in the case of criminal conspiracy and armed robbery in which other arrested suspects have been charged to court and remanded in prison custody. On 12/11/19, when ex-L/cpl Blessing Egbogwu was finally released by the army for prosecution, she was brought to the command with a 2 months old baby. Since the offence of armed robbery for which she was being taken to custody is not normally bailable, bail consideration for her was therefore not an option. Out of options available, she chose to stay in detention with her baby.
He further added: “The law allows a detained nursing mother to stay in custody with her baby provided the baby is less than 18 months. She was however detained in a separate cell away from other detainees and was provided with all necessaries for her comfort and the comfort of the baby.
The PPRO whilst making further clarifications said: “On 15/11/19 which was the date of adjournment of the case that was already in court, ex- L/cpl Blessing was taken to court to join other co- accused persons in the case. Worthy of note is the fact that the case is being prosecuted by the Ministry of Justice at the High Court and the police has no power to grant bail in this circumstance.
“It is preposterous for a lawyer who knows the legal procedures in cases of this nature to expect police to release a suspect whose case is pending at the high Court and to which a motion of bail had already been filed in the high court by the same lawyer. The lawyer obviously intentionally came out to distort the facts to discredit the Police. The Kwara state Commissioner of Police, Ag CP Kayode Egbetokun has consistently maintained that people who deliberately distort facts to mislead the public are destroying our society. He will therefore not allow this particular one to go unchallenged, especially as it impugned on the image of the Force.
“The Command wishes to use this opportunity to once again reiterate the fact that Kwara state Police command frowns at all acts that bother on illegality and will not spare any of her officers that engages in any unprofessional conduct. Members of the public are advised to always cross check their facts before going public with any allegation, please”, the statement signed by Dsp Okasanmi Ajayi concluded.
