The Lagos Police Command has launched investigation into an alleged case of violence, unlawful detention, sexual harrasement, inhuman treatment against a family by its officers.

Police spokesman in Lagos, Benjamin Hundeyin, said in a tweet on Tuesday that the command has commenced an in-depth investigation into the allegations against the officers involved.

“The entire family is at the Police Headquarters as I tweet this (I won’t post their picture for their privacy). The DPO and another officer involved are also here. The X-Squad department of the Command has commenced in-depth investigations,” Mr Hundeyin said.

Happiness Liberty, a stay-at-home mother of three, accused a police officer under Igando division of physically assaulting and detaining herself, her husband, his siblings, her three children including an 11-month-old baby, according to Sahara Reporters.

Narrating her ordeal to the media outlet, Mrs Liberty said the alleged official identified as Martin A. had an altercation with her husband on September 11.

She said her family were coming from a church service when a motorcycle rammed into her husband’s motorcycle.

The mother of three said her husband questioned the rider for hitting his bike, instead of the alleged officer to apologise he suddenly slapped her husband. 

She said her husband’s siblings, who were some distance behind, came to enquire about the situation.

Again the alleged police officer slapped her sister who was carrying her 11-month-old baby. Mrs Liberty said her sister’s slap led to a brawl.

She said some moments later a team of police officers under Igando division stormed the place and arrested everybody taking them into custody.

Mr Liberty lamented that when they got to the police station the police officers on duty swooped on them, hitting everybody including her children to the extent that one of her husband’s siblings slumped and was revived hours later.

The mother of three said they were unjustly tortured, detained and starved for four days including the children.

She said they were later arraigned before a magistrate court in Lagos, adding that the alleged police officer, Mr Martin threatened her family not to speak to the media about the inhuman treatment.

“After the beating, they detained my husband, his siblings, myself and my three children, 8 years, 7 years and 11 months. They didn’t allow us to make calls.

“They treated us like criminals. I was released to go home on Monday, 24 hours after starving my children. My husband and his siblings were released from detention on September 14,” Mrs Liberty said.

“Thereafter, they arraigned us before a Magistrate Court that granted us bail.”

In Igando, another resident, Sharon Alede said the divisional police officer identified as Gbadegesin sexually molested her when she was in police custody.

“The DPO, SP Gbadegesin sexually assaulted me in custody with further threat that I would be arraigned in court with criminal offence if I mentioned what happened in the station to anybody.

“This happened about two months now. I am speaking out because the excesses of the policemen in Igando station have gone out of hand. We need to speak out now,” Ms Alede said.