How Nigeria Police Reacted When Journalist Posed As Rape Victim ( Part 1)

Rape is a traumatic experience for a victim who has to live with the emotional and physical scars of the act. But a victim who chooses to report to the police must prepare to go through another emotional and physical depression, as the experience of THE WHISTLER reporter has shown.

This reporter hid her identity and pretended to be a victim of rapists in Kubwa and Lugbe and visited the respective police divisions to report the incident to see how the police treat rape cases and victims.

The first visit was to Lugbe Divisional Police Station on  December 15. When the reporter walked into the counter of the police station at about 10 am, there were many complainants at the station, and had to wait for her turn.

 After over 30 minutes of waiting at the counter, a male police officer walked up to the reporter and asked “how can i help you?” Then the reporter narrated how she boarded a cab into Lugbe at about 8pm, and instead of dropping her off at her destination, the driver drove into a known hideout inside Federal Housing Estate in Lugbe and raped her.

She was left to pick herself up and managed to get someone to take her home.

Endless Interrogation and Strange help

After recounting what happened, the officer asked: “What were you wearing?” After getting the answer, then he asked: “Did he (rapist) use condom?” The answer was “No.”

Then he said:  “I blame you, you shouldn’t be out by that time of the day, but go and report at the counter.”

After reporting to the officer, he directed the reporter to go and report again at the counter.

The reporter was directed to a fair-complexioned police officer seated at the counter along with two others. He offered a seat in front of him, and the reporter recounted her rape experience all over again while the other officers listened.

After explaining how the rape happened, the officer asked the reporter if she could recognize the rapist, colour and number plate of his car. He wrote down the statements and then said, “I will tell our people here if they accept the case fine but if they don’t you will take my number and then you call me i will take you after work to Berger (from where the reporter boarded the taxi).

“You will stay in my car; it’s tinted so we will just be watching the drivers there. Once you see someone that looks like him, i will just take his plate number and then report to the nearest police station there since we now have evidence.”

It was suspicious that the officer promised to assist the reporter nab the rapist outside his official schedule. Then he took the reporter inside a room where about 8 officers were seated and told a female officer while pointing at the reporter,” She was raped , will you take the case because the person came from Berger?”

Where’s Your Pants?

Then the female officer started another round of questioning. How did it happen and when? Why are you just coming to us? It happened last night right? Have you had your bath? How about the pant you wore at the time?

The reporter said the rapist tore the pants, and the officer exclaimed: “Oh God! That means no evidence.”

Then she gave the reporter a statement form to fill. While the reporter was filling the form, the female officer, who was obviously angry at the alleged rapist, said the reporter could have summoned courage to fight him or grab his manhood to prevent him from committing the rape.

While she was talking, another female officer interjected with a story about another rape case she handled, which happened in the same location as that of the reporter.

After writing the statement, the reporter was directed to another office in the building where she met a female senior officer. She was attending to a case and the reporter had to wait for about 10 minutes.

When she was done, she faced the reporter and asked for a full brief of the rape incident. By this time, the reporter was already exhausted and was explaining herself slowly.

“Madam,  open your mouth and talk so i know how to help you!,” she bellowed at the reporter. The narration was interrupted briefly each time her colleagues came into the room. They exchanged banters and laughed.

After the narration of the incident to the 5th police officer at the station,  she asked the same routine questions about recognizing the rapist and his car. Then she asked if the reporter was a virgin!

She then asked the reporter to follow her to the DPO’s office.

At the DPO’s office, the reporter (a rape victim) was made to recount the horrors of her rape all over again after stating same to five different officers.

Finally the DPO, Uhegwu Ugockukwu, asked me to go and run a test at a government hospital and bring back the result.

While heading out of the station about three hours later, the reporter came across the officer who promised to take her to Berger. While looking at the reporter in an amorous manner, he said, “Don’t worry, take my number, you will be free this evening right? Just call me, I will come and take you to Berger so we can see if we can identify the man.”

This reporter never bothered to call him.

As the reporter left the station, she felt that no rape victim should be subjected to such nonchalant, unprofessional and dehumanizing interrogations and stress.