By Gbenga Ariyibi
Authorities of Ekiti State police command has arrested a police officer who tortured a female student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Miss Abigial Ige on Monday

Ige, an HND 11 student was beaten to a state of coma by four policemen led by one Femi for having the effrontery to challenge them when conducting a stop and search at Fayose Market, Ajilosun Road. The student was subsequently hospitalized at the Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti

Speaking on the development in an interview yesterday, the State Police Commissioner, Mr Kakwe Katso said the offending police officer has been placed on “orderly room trial”, adding that his trial would be concluded before the week runs out.

Said he, “before I was even informed about the incident, the DPO of the outpost has already arrested the police officer that allegedly committed the act of brutality and detained him and I believe before the end of work today his trial would have been concluded and if he is found guilty of the offence, I am going to confirm any sanction imposed on him by the disciplinary committee.

“He is being tried on disciplinary grounds because if you ordered somebody to surrender himself or herself for a search and the person declined nobody authorized you to use any form of brutality on that person there are laid down procedure to follow.

“In fact, there are a lot of people in the market that had volunteered to give vivid accounts of what happened but the area we are dealing with is that you cannot use raw force to the extent that the person is hospitalized to enforce somebody on stop and search”.

Katso disclosed  that a police delegation led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police has visited the female student on her hospital bed, adding that the report reaching him was that the lady was responding to treatment

“I was told by the delegation that she is responding to treatment and that is without prejudice to the on-going trial of the suspected police officer”, Katso said.

The  police officer stated that the police would not tolerate any act of indiscipline and other acts inimical to the police force.

The commissioner said his command has sanctioned a lot of police officers over several offences, while others have been dismissed for serious offences.