ON Friday during the resumed sitting of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, while giving evidence, a petitioner, Nkemakolam Felicia Okpara, 27, said about five police officers beat her until she peed on herself.
Okpara said while she was returning home from a job interview, she met some peaceful protesters on the road and decided to join them.
Shortly after she joined, Okpara said she heard gunshots as protesters and other people in the environment ran for their lives.
The petitioner noted that she was recording the incident before a police officer challenged her and told her to stop recording the event.
For refusing to follow the police’s order, Okpara said she was dragged inside a police station and beaten by two police officers.
She added that when her phone fell off her hand while she was being beaten, one of the police officers smashed it with his leg.
“There is a lady among them, she was so particular about my phone, she kept hitting me until I had to let go because there was no one to call to come to my aid,” she stated.
“While the beating was going on, I lost control of my body and my phone fell on the ground and one of them used his leg to smash it because he believed I was recording with it and I was going to put it on the internet,” Okpara said.
According to her, some others joined the beating and assaulting her until she lost control of her body and peed on herself.
“While we were still at that gate, some were coming out, they joined the beating. Dragged me inside, that was where I lost control of my body, I peed on myself. I managed to get a hold of the phone because I knew that was the only thing I had,” Okpara said in moist eyes.
After narrating her ordeal, Okpara submitted photographs of injuries sustained from the police beating as well as a medical report.
Doris Okuwobi, the Chairman of the Panel admitted the documents as evidence before the panel.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94