Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 2 Command, Lagos, Adegoke Fayoade, has set up a six-member panel to investigate allegations that women were detained alongside men in a cell at the Maroko Police Station, located in Lekki, Lagos State. This comes after a viral video sparked outrage, with a woman claiming that she and other women were held in the same cell as men.
The Lagos State Police Command responded to the video, clarifying that the individuals were not placed in a cell but in a corridor under police supervision, and they had since been released. Despite this, AIG Fayoade has moved forward with a formal investigation.
The panel includes representatives from the police, media, judiciary, and civil society. Members are DCP Ajao Adewale, ACP Ogunsakin Gbenga, Emma Nnadozie from Vanguard, Ivy Kanu from TVC, human rights activist Comrade Adeoye Adewunmi, and lawyer and social worker Mrs. Blessing Afe.
A statement by Zonal Public Relations Officer, SP Ayuna Umma, confirmed that the panel’s task is to investigate the incident in line with the police force’s commitment to human rights and gender-related issues. The investigation will focus on whether women and underage individuals were indeed detained with men, as alleged in the viral video.