How Nigeria Police Arrested, Detained Teenage Pupil For Wearing ‘Camouflage’ In Imo, Reportedly Extorted Money From Family
Men of the Imo state police command on Sunday arrested and detained a 13-year-old girl, Obiwuru Chidera for over 10 hours for allegedly wearing a camouflage, SaharaReporters has gathered.
Chidera is a senior secondary school pupil in the state.
She was arrested around 8 am on Sunday by officers attached to the Nekede Police Divisional Headquarters, Owerri.
According to a source, Chidera was put behind bars for several hours and coerced by the policemen to change her age to 19 while writing her statement.
She was however released after her family members were forced to pay N15,000.
“She was arrested in Ihiagwa Owerri on the 14th of May 2023 for putting on clothes that they claimed looked like army uniform – a 13-year-old girl for that matter,” the source said.
“After her arrest, they wanted to force her to increase her age to 19 years, so that they’ll not be blamed but unfortunately for them, the little girl refused and told them she is 13 years old and not 19 years.
“The name of the police station is Nekede police station in Owerri, Imo State. There are others under 18 (teenagers) that were kept in the same detention facility as her.
“Most of them are still in detention as we talk because they don’t have people to bail them. These teenagers are suffering and languishing somewhere in a police station in Imo State and nobody is talking about it.”
A relative of the girl also confirmed her arrest and subsequent detention.
“Yes, she’s my family member, she was arrested on Sunday for wearing what they called camouflage. We paid N15,000 before she was released to us, this girl is just in SS2, so sad,” he told SaharaReporters.
It is not the first time Nigerians would be assaulted or arrested by security operatives for putting on camouflage clothing.
Henry Okoye, the police spokesperson in Imo, confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters.
He, however, described it as a serious criminal offence, saying the police will arraign her in court because criminals who have been attacking police officers and residents of the state mostly appear in police, army and civil defence uniforms.
