The police officer, Inspector Peter Ibah accused of arresting and raping a widow for not wearing facemask has finally reacted.
However, his reaction came with mild drama at the headquarter of the Rivers State Police Command in Port Harcourt on Thursday when both the victim and the alleged police rapist gave different accounts of what transpired between them.
Recall that a widow, Queen Olaka, had alleged on Wednesday that Inspector Peter Ibah raped her after he arrested her for not wearing a face mask.
This is just as the as the command said Ibah would remain in detention until the conclusion of the investigation into the allegation against him.
According to Punch, the accused and the accuser were at the command headquarters on Thursday.
The inspector denied raping the 23 year old widow, saying there was no resistance from her.
He said, “She even asked the girls in the hotel to give her charger to charge her phone but they said they don’t have. I was on stop-and-search duty when I saw her. She went to drop her children and came back. She was comfortable with me.
“While we were together, she had her bath and came to lay on the bed waiting for me. The girls in the hotel and the cleaners were there. There was no problem.”
He said he transferred N2,000 to her after the sex and gave her another N2,000 for her transport.
But Olaka insisted that Ibah dragged down her trouser and had his way despite her resistance, alleging that he also raped her the second time.
She said, “My husband has been in the mortuary for two year now. I have not buried my husband because of issues I have with my husband people. Maybe he took advantage of me when he heard my husband is in the mortuary.
“About past 12am, he raped me; I was helpless. I slept off. Later in the morning he did it again and asked me to give him my phone number. I was afraid because we were alone.”
The widow added that she gave the policeman her account number as evidence.
The state Police Public relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni said, “The matter is still being investigated. The Commissioner of Police has said the matter should be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, for further investigation.
He said, “For now let us exercise some restraint and be calm until the conclusion of the investigation. I can trust that the CP is going to bring about justice in this matter. Justice will not only be done, but be seen to be done. We will get to the root of the matter.”
