Nigerian Nurses’ Forum Accuses Osun Police Of Trying To Silence Nurse After Alleged Abduction, Detention

Nigerian nurses under the platform of the Elegant Nurses Forum (ENF) have accused the Osun State Police Command of attempting to silence Nurse Atinuke Shotuminu after her alleged abduction and unlawful detention by police officers.

The nurses' group said that authorities are reportedly pressuring her and her family to abandon the matter.

It demanded an independent investigation into the alleged conduct of the officers involved, including claims that money was collected from Shotuminu's family during efforts to resolve the case.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the ENF said the latest information about the incident was obtained from family sources and one of Shotuminu's classmates.

According to the group, the family returned to Osogbo following pressure allegedly mounted on them, particularly through Shotuminu's aged grandfather.

The family was subsequently taken to the office of the Area Commander at Oke-Sia, where the commander reportedly questioned Shotuminu over the publication of the incident by SaharaReporters.

“She explained that she had been cheated and unlawfully detained and therefore had to inform her colleagues and relevant groups about what happened,” the ENF said.

The group further alleged that Adeleke Abdul-lateef Temitope, identified in the statement as the alleged romance scam suspect, was already at the Area Command when Shotuminu and her family arrived.

According to the ENF, the Area Commander instructed Adeleke to refund ₦250,000 to Shotuminu, representing part of the money allegedly collected from her family by the police.

The group said Adeleke complied and refunded the money.

However, the ENF alleged that police officers subsequently appealed to the family to forget about the remaining money allegedly collected and not to raise the matter again.

The group further alleged that the Area Commander prepared an undertaking for the parties to sign in an effort to close the matter.

More significantly, the ENF claimed that Shotuminu was instructed not to discuss the incident further and to ensure that nothing more about it was published by SaharaReporters.

“More disturbing is the reported instruction given to Nurse Shotuminu that she should promise not to discuss the matter again and should ensure that nothing further about the incident was published by Sahara Reporters,” the statement said.

The parties reportedly later went to the office of the Commissioner of Police, where the Area Commander informed the CP that the matter had been resolved.

The ENF said the CP subsequently advised the parties to be of good conduct before they left.

But the nurses' group rejected the reported resolution, describing the handling of the matter as an apparent attempt to silence the victim instead of investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“If the information supplied to us is accurate, the resolution appears to have focused more on silencing the victim and preventing further public discussion of the incident than on establishing the facts, protecting the victim and ensuring accountability for the conduct of the officers involved,” the group said.

The ENF maintained that the police have a responsibility to investigate allegations of wrongdoing rather than pressure victims or their relatives into silence.

“The police are a law-enforcement institution. Their responsibility is to protect citizens, prevent crime, investigate allegations properly, uphold the law and maintain public confidence,” it said.

The organisation also criticised the involvement of Shotuminu's aged grandfather in efforts to settle the matter.

“The police must immediately stop mounting pressure on an elderly family member or using him as a means of getting Nurse Shotuminu to abandon legitimate concerns,” the statement said.

The ENF called for an independent investigation into the alleged abduction, detention and treatment of Shotuminu, as well as the conduct of every police officer involved.

It also demanded an investigation into the money allegedly collected from Shotuminu and her family.

The group wants authorities to establish “who collected it, the amount collected, the purpose for which it was collected and how the money was distributed.”

The ENF further demanded a public apology from the Osun State Police Command within 72 hours to Shotuminu and several individuals and institutions, including the management of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, the Head of the School of Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing, Yaba, the nursing community and members of the public.

The group also demanded written assurances that Shotuminu would not be harassed, threatened, detained or victimised for speaking about her experience.

“The police must respect Nurse Shotuminu's fundamental right to speak about her experience and seek support, legal assistance or professional assistance,” the ENF said.

“Any genuine resolution should never be based on forcing a victim into silence.”

The organisation further called for the alleged romance scam case involving Adeleke to be properly investigated, arguing that the refund of money should not automatically bring the matter to an end.

The ENF also urged the police to review the conduct of the officers involved and, where circumstances warrant, consider professional psychological and other fitness-to-serve assessments.

It clarified that its call for possible drug or substance testing was not an allegation that any particular officer uses drugs.

“This is not an accusation that any particular officer is using drugs; it is a call for proper assessment where the circumstances warrant it,” the statement said.

The group warned that the matter must not be allowed to disappear through what it described as private undertakings or informal settlements.

“The ENF wants to make it clear that seeking peace does not mean sacrificing justice,” it said.

“A resolution that requires a victim to keep quiet while the conduct of those accused of wrongdoing is not properly investigated cannot be described as satisfactory accountability.”

The nurses' forum also called on the Osun State Police Command, the Nigeria Police Force and relevant oversight institutions to intervene.

“The Nursing Community is watching. Civil society is watching. The public is watching,” it said.

“Nurse Shotuminu must be protected, the truth must be established, and those found responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable.”