In a dramatic and heart-wrenching turn of events, former police officer Edith Uduma has threatened to take her life and that of her children after being dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force.
Her dismissal followed her exposure of an alleged rape incident involving a fellow officer in Edo State.
Uduma’s distress comes after the Edo State Police Command accused her of conspiring with her husband to extort money from the accused rapist, Sergeant Abraham, in exchange for covering up the crime.
The allegations against her have sparked outrage, with Uduma denying all claims and calling for justice.
“I will die if Nigeria refuses to listen to me,” Uduma said tearfully during an interview. “I am just stranded like this. I want justice.”
Her emotional plea highlights the gravity of her situation, as she is now in hiding, unable to see her children due to the ongoing investigation.
The incident began on October 7, 2024, when Sergeant Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect at a police station in Edo State. Uduma, who was the Charge Room Officer on duty that night, recorded the event on her phone after discovering the sergeant’s actions.
The video, which shows the accused sergeant hurriedly dressing while the victim lies in a chair, was later leaked online, bringing the matter to public attention.
In the aftermath, both Sergeant Abraham and Uduma were dismissed after an internal trial. The police command’s statement claimed that Uduma and her husband had demanded N1 million from Abraham to conceal the incident, and when Abraham reportedly offered only N45,000, the video was leaked.
However, Uduma maintains her innocence. In an interview with Punch Metro, she denied extorting money from the sergeant and insisted that her dismissal was unjust.
“They know I have no rank or support to fight back. What the Edo Police Command is saying is not the truth,” Uduma said. She also claimed that the police officers involved, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), had used her as a scapegoat.
“I did not extort money. The DPO told me to ask for the money to help bring the sergeant back, but now they’ve turned everything against me,” she added.
The human rights group, Take It Back Movement, has also come to Uduma’s defense. In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the group described Uduma’s dismissal as a gross injustice. The group called for her case to be reviewed and for the police to recognize the severity of the situation.
“We humbly submit this petition to seek your intervention in the gross injustice perpetrated against Mrs Edith Uduma,” the petition read. “Instead of commending her actions for exposing a rape case, she was punished.”
The Take It Back Movement’s petition emphasizes that Uduma’s actions were commendable, but her dismissal raises serious questions about the police force’s handling of rape allegations. The petition also expressed concern that her punishment could potentially hinder investigations and protect the perpetrator of the crime.
“The dismissal is wrong. It is unjust to punish a police officer for exposing a crime,” the petition further stated.
In the wake of this controversy, the police spokesperson, Moses Yamu, has remained silent on the matter, despite repeated attempts to reach him for comment.
Uduma’s husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed, was also affected by the scandal. He was demoted to the rank of sergeant for his involvement in the case. Uduma asserts that her husband had no connection to the alleged extortion, describing him as merely bringing food to her at the station on the night of the incident.
The case has raised serious questions about the integrity of the police force in Edo State, with critics arguing that Uduma is being punished for her bravery in exposing a fellow officer’s crime.
The situation has also sparked wider debates about the treatment of female officers in the Nigeria Police Force and the culture of silence surrounding issues like sexual abuse within the force.
“If the police force can do this to a police officer, how much more to the innocent civilians?” Uduma asked, underlining the grave implications of her dismissal.
The ongoing case continues to unfold as the Nigeria Police Force faces mounting pressure to address concerns over corruption, accountability, and the treatment of women within the force.
Uduma’s desperate call for justice is now echoing throughout the country, as many Nigerians demand that the authorities reconsider her dismissal and take appropriate action in the fight against police corruption and abuse.
