Irate youth in Ibiade, Ogun Waterside local government have protested against the overzealousness of some policemen for disallowing a pregnant woman who was in labour and was being rushed to the hospital, passage until she died, while enforcing the covid-19 lockdown order in the area.
The policemen at the Sowore Police Checkpoint, Ibiade refused the motorcyclist carrying the woman, identified as Mrs Opeoluwa Waidat Adedeji, to be rushed to the hospital to deliver her baby despite all pleas from the motorcyclist and the woman’s son accompanying her to the hospital.
The pregnant woman, a mother of six, was said to have called a motorcyclist to assist her to the hospital when she discovered she was having labour pains. The woman was assisted by her son on the motorcycle to the general hospital from Ita- Otu, but was stuck at Sowore for hours due to the resistance of the police officers at the check point.
The deceased’s son said all their pleas to these officers fell on deaf ears despite seeing the pregnant woman in a labour pain, insisting that they must go back home.
“It was after they discovered that the woman had lost consciousness that they allowed us. And painfully, I lost my mother before she got to the hospital”, the son of the deceased narrated.
As a result, the youth in the town trooped out in large number to protest the insensitivity and inhuman attitude of the police officers on duty.
However, the timely intervention of the council’s chairman, Comrade Oluwafemi Onanuga, the Alarige of Ibiade and the Ojotunmoro of Abigi doused the tension and the palpable crisis that would have erupted, as the protesting youth who carried the corpse to the police headquarters at Abigi were ready for a total showdown.
While calming the nerves of the youths, the local government chairman promised to monitor the case and make sure that justice is served.
He equally promised to get the approval of the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to empower at least, two of the deceased’s children into the workforce of the Ogun Waterside local government.
More so, the Police Area Command has ordered the arrest of the erring officers promising to transfer them to Eleweeran in Abeokuta.
The Area Commander equally promised to recommend two of the deceased’s children to the Police Commissioner for employment into the Nigeria Police Force.
Meanwhile, many indigenes of the local government have been complaining of the harassment and bribery demands of the police in different checkpoints in Ogun Waterside before the lockdown order.
