The petitioner added that CSP Salawu included ASP Edwin Chukwudi and ASP Augustine Maduforo, in the list of officers to be transferred because “these ASPs are always boldly telling CSP Abideen A. Salawu that what he does to the women is not good.”
By SaharaReporter
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of New Owerri Police Division at the Imo State Police Command, CSP Abideen A. Salawu, has been accused of constantly sexually assaulting, harassing and intimidating policewomen at the division and female members of the public who report cases at the division.
A member of the Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC) at the World Bank Housing Estate in Owerri which is within the jurisdiction of the New Owerri Police Division, Chief Ogumba Onyeaghala, made the allegations in a petition to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
The petitioner alleged that for about five years CSP Salawu came to New Owerri Police Division as DPO, he has become an object of controversy as people had been speaking of his alleged misconducts and that “the women police in this police division have been dying in silence.”
The petitioner said, “Do you know that if you have a case with a woman, no matter how innocent you might be, he must judge against you and favour the woman just to have sex with her.
“This has made many of us in this world bank housing estate prefer going to Umuguma police station or Area Commander’s office, Owerri to report our cases.
“This DPO has a hotel room here and a flat at former Otokoto Hotel opposite the police children school along Orlu road Owerri but he sleeps in his office only to have sexual knowledge of the police women both married and unmarried.
“If he cannot get in the day, he will get them while on night duties. Because of the intimidation, some police women decided to video him when he is having their carnal knowledge.”
According to the petitioner, “The straw that broke the camel’s back was that the DPO went to the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Danjuma Aboki and requested for a total change of every personnel at new Owerri Police Division because he was done with them so that he would start with the police women newly transferred but the commissioner asked him to bring names, he gave the names of those who are not regularly submissive to him.
“This unjust attitude went into the ears of the human right fighters who went to Mrs. Chioma Uzodinma, the wife of Imo State Governor, who frowned at it and immediately asked for the removal of the DPO CSP Abideen A. Salawu.
“But a high ranked police officer in the Imo State Government house obstructed it by begging her that Salawu is the man who takes care of him.
“Notwithstanding, he was sent a serious warning to stop the unholy attitude on the woman police and the transfer of inspector Caroline Chinedu, Inspector Juliet Ubalaka, Inspector ifenyinwa Ndulaka, Inspector Nkiru Abel, Inspector Opara Angela.”
The petitioner added that CSP Salawu included ASP Edwin Chukwudi and ASP Augustine Maduforo, in the list of officers to be transferred because “these ASPs are always boldly telling CSP Abideen A. Salawu that what he does to the women is not good.”
The petitioner said “After the instructions to the DPO, he came to the office and gave Juliet the worst beating in her life and asked her to go and call her mother, Mrs Chioma. He boasted that the Inspector General of police is his brother and that he would transfer them through Abuja or he would fight them diabolically.”
SaharaReporters made efforts to get the reaction and comments of the Imo State Police Command on the matter but the Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Henry Okoye, did not answer calls made to his phone number.
A message was sent to him on his WhatsApp but at the time of filing this report, the police spokesperson has not responded to the message nor returned the calls.
Also, Friday July 5, SaharaReporters called the DPO, CSP Salawu, for reaction to the allegations against him but he did not answer calls made to his mobile number.
A message was sent to him the same day but till the time of filing this story, he has neither responded to the message nor answered more calls made to his mobile number.