Five persons (two minors and three others) were on Monday paraded by the operatives of the Edo State Police Command for allegedly stripping one Christabel Akhigbe naked over alleged phone theft, making a video of her nakedness and uploading it on social media.
The suspects, Blessing Lucky 15, Jennifer Eboigbe 30, Iziegbe Ogbodu 39, Naomi Ekhonetomwan 17, and Lucky Endurance 16 were arrested for the indecent assault on a female and cyber stalking.
While parading the suspect, the State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adeboye, said the suspects, who were arrested on April 30, accused their victim of stealing an android phone belonging to Lucky and called her to return the said phone.
He said after Akhigbe had returned the phone to the owner, they lured her into Blessing Lucky’s mother’s house beat and stripped her naked and threatened to put pepper in her private parts.
He added that the suspects made a video of the scene which has gone viral on social media.
Adegboye said that on receiving the case, the Police operatives arrested the suspects who confessed to the crime, adding that they will soon be charged in court.
While warning the citizens not to take laws into their own hands, noted that those who should have been the complainants have turned themselves into suspects in the case.
He said the police would cooperate with human rights organisations to make sure that the suspects pay for the crime.
The CP said, “The Edo Police Command have arrested five females for stripping a woman for allegedly stealing an android phone. They then made a video of the victims while naked and posted it online.
“They have now become suspects in a case they should have been the complaints. I will advise residents not to take the law into their own hands and to report cases of this nature to the police.
One of the suspects, Eboigbe, said she is ashamed of what they did to the victim.
She said, “My daughter came to tell me that her phone was stolen and after some days we retrieved the phone from the person who stole the phone. The girl begged me that they shouldn’t beat her but despite her plea, they went ahead to strip her naked.
“I am ashamed of what they did because I am a mother,” she added.
