By Francesca Hangeior
A human rights group, Save the Poor and Needy Charity Initiative (SPANCI), has appealed to the commissioner of police in Oyo state, Adebola Hamzat, to ensure release of a woman, Mrs. Aderoju Folake Fatoba who was detained by men of Apata police division in Ibadan.
The group described the detention of Mrs. Fatoba as unlawful, dehumanizing and degrading treatment, denial of fair hearing, right to personal liberty and right to freedom of movement.
SPANCI made the plea via a letter addressed to the CP and signed by its president, Comrade Yemi Ezekiel Bello.
The statement was made available to journalists on Thursday, May 23.
Bello in the letter said that the group has the consent of Mrs Fatoba to write the letter so that her rights would be protected.
Bello stated that Mrs. Fatoba legally married Mr. Tope Fatoba before his death. Their marriage did not produce any children, which led Mr. Gbenga Fatoba and other members of the Fatoba family to resent her.
She alleged that the family had instructed Mr. Fatoba to end the marriage, but he refused.
He said that the husband was found dead inside their apartment when Mrs. Fatoba came back where she went on Monday, 6th May 2024 and the police took the corpse to State Hospital Ring Road mortuary in Ibadan.
He added that the police invited Fatoba and was detained on Wednesday, 22nd of May, 2024 on the instructions of one Mr. Gbenga Fatoba who is a brother to the deceased’s father.
Bello in the letter said that it is wrong for the police to detain Mrs. Fatoba and prosecute her for murder on the order of the family.
He used the opportunity to demand immediate release of the detainee.
“Urgent petition against an act of wrongful allegation, unlawful detention, dehumanizing and degrading treatment, denial of fair hearing, denial of right to personal liberty, denial of right to freedom of movement, mental torture, Falsehood, defamation, conspiracy and threat to maliciously prosecute for murder violation of section 34 (1) (a) 35, 36 and 41 of the Nigeria 1999 constitution as amended perpetrated by Mr Gbenga Fatoba, other Fatoba’s family members and the men of Moore Plantation Police Division, Apata, Ibadan against Mrs Fatoba Aderoju Folake.
“We have the consent of Mrs Fatoba Aderoju Folake herein after referred to as our clients to write this letter so that her rights might be protected. Our client told us that she got married legally to Mr Tope Fatoba before he died and that their marriage produced no children and as a result of this Mr Gbenga Fatoba and other members of Fatoba’s family hated her and had instructed their son to end the marriage but their son did not agree because he loved her so much.
“Our client said unfortunately on Monday 6th of May 2024 she left him at home before 8:00 for work and came back home at around 5:00 p m, unable to open the entrance door which was locked at the back, contrary to their normal practice. The wife called him on phone repeatedly only to discover that his phone was ringing inside and at this point she informed her neighbors and Moore plantation, Apata, Ibadan Police too. The entrance door was broken. The husband was found inside dead and the police took the corpse to State Hospital Ring Road mortuary in Ibadan.
“Our client said the police did their investigation thoroughly and found out that she’s not culpable at all but Mr Gbenga Fatoba who is a brother to the deceased’s father insisted the it was our client that killed her husband but the DPO replied him that their investigation did not implicate the wife. Our client said to her surprise she was invited yesterday 22nd of may, 2024 but was detained at the instructions of her uncle in-law.
“That the husband locked the door on himself after he came home with park of food and died inside but they forced open door had a key inside at the back of the door so how could his wife kill him? That Mr Tope Fatoba may have died of food poison or natural death but Mr Gbenga Fatoba and other family members who hated our client because she has no child for their son maliciously lied and insisted she killed him so that they can take over the wealth and money which government may want to pay the wife has benefits and entitlement of her husband.
“That it is wrong for police to detain our client and maliciously prosecute her for murder to satisfy Mr Gbenga Fatoba and his family. We hereby demand immediate release of our client and justice against this act of wickedness and injustice because our client is already plaque with the death of her husband as this is already giving her mental and psychological torture”.