……..I am ready to commit suicide, if I don’t see my children
A resident of Ondo town in Ondo State, Mrs.Funmi Afolabi has cried out and passionately appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba to help her find the whereabouts of a her two children who were in the custody of police authority when she was remanded in Olokuta prison facilities over a murder case in Akure
The children, Segun Afolabi aged 7 and Blessing .Afolabi age One and half were teenagers when she was arrested by the Police at on 13th November 2010 and charged to court over the alleged murder.
Mrs Afolabi was arrested along with her husband, Mr. Afolabi Oladipupo and six others and asked to be remanded in Prison custody, Olokuta Akure.
It was learnt that a team of policemen from Abuja had pleaded with the couples to release their children Segun and Blessing age 7 and One and half years respectively then whom they said would be handed over to a Charity House for proper caring pending the determination of their case.
The policemen told them that the children will be released if they are discharged acquitted or if either one of them is free from the alleged murder case.
But unfortunately, since Mrs Funmi Afolabi regained her freedom when she discharged an acquitted on 21st November, 2019, she has been battling with police authority to rejoin her children to no avail.
The traumatized woman who tried to kill herself at the court premises in Akure was rescued by some judiciary staff over the refusal of the Nigeria Police Authority to release her teenage children who has been with them for the past 10 years when her case lasted.
Counsel to the Couples, Mr. Wale Omotoso (SAN) while speaking with Journalists at the court premises in Akure said several efforts by him and some individuals to see that the children were released to the woman based on the promises made by the police authority in Abuja have proved abortive.
“Honestly, I don’t know what is wrong but I know, something is actually wrong somewhere. All efforts made to rejoin the two children with their mother out of the perceived police authority Charity Home could not yield any positive results.
‘This case is like beating a child and tell him or her not to cry. we will continue till the water that comes out from our eyes will turn to flood in the police compound, unless the Nigeria Police Authority do the needful by give Caesar what belong to Caesar. (that is giving this traumatised woman her children)
“Let me once again commend Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba for the good work he is doing and the credible leadership he has been offered our nation since assumption of office. We are passionately pleading with him to use his good offices to help us find the whereabouts of these children who have been with the police authority for the past 10 years. I know justice will be done on this matter”, Omotoso pleaded.
However, the woman, Mrs Funmi Afolabi who also spoke with newsmen solicited for the help of members o. the public to ensure that her children are released to her, if not, she said “I am ready to commit suicide, if I don’t see my children.”
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, said she was not aware of the case but advised that the woman should use legal action to reclaim her children.
Ends