Woman To Sue Edo Government Over Alleged Miscarriage

Source: thewillnigeria.com

BEVERLY HILLS, March 30, (THEWILL) – Oghosa Ejemai, who claimed to have lost a seven-week old pregnancy in an alleged fisticuffs with state agents has threatened to institute a N100 million legal suit against the Edo State government.

The 2005 graduate from the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, aged 38, further alleged that the 'brutality' meted on her was personally supervised by the state Commissioner for Transport, Isimeme Iriogbe, along with the staff of the ministry.

Ejemai, who narrated her ordeal at a press briefing by the state chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) at the party's secretariat insisted that as she was dragging her wares with them, she saw a fair man, whom she later understood was the commissioner for transport, Isimeme Iriogbe.

“I was in my shop, 14 Mission Road Benin City where I sell provision and assorted drinks when all of a sudden the transport commissioner and his team swooped on my shop with the allegation that I displayed my wares on the walkway,” she said.

“I thought that I would get protection from him, but unfortunately, he joined them to beat me up, gave me slaps and hit my chest with a sharp object. He was pulling me here and there, trying to push me into a waiting vehicle and ordered that I should be arrested.

“A crowd later gathered at the Mission Road, with so many people asking if he wants to kill me and what was my offence that he has to treat me the way he did. He was still beating me, dragging me along and when they saw the large crowd, they started to shoot into the air and disappeared one by one.

“When I got home that evening I was taken to the hospital and treated, and I went to the Oba Market Police Station to report the incident and the police took my statement and even went to the scene of the incident.

“But for two days I did not opened my shop because I was sick all over my body. However, the third day, I started bleeding and went to the Central Hospital Benin, where it was confirmed by a doctor that I had lost my seven weeks pregnancy.

“After I was discharged from the hospital I was invited to the ministry of transport to collect my seized goods only to discover that half of them were stolen and I complained to them nobody answered me till now, and the police I reported the matter to are not helping matters either as no action has been taken till this moment.”

While condemning the action of the state government official, the PDP declared that Ejemai’s case was a pathetic one and the party has promised to foot the legal bill of the victim.

However, the Commissioner, Iriogbe, alleged that the complainant was trading along the walkway and had attacked officials who came to clear the walkway of traders and their wares.

“She was trading along the walkway and she accosted the teeming officials that were clearing the walkway. She almost tore the dress of one of the women who was removing the wares. By going to the PDP for her press conference, it means her blocking the walkway was political,” he said.

“I expect her to be at the court and we shall meet there because the court is for everybody. I acted decently and I did not beat her.”

Story by David Oputah