Court Remands Rights Activist, Prof. Duke-Abiola in Prison for allegedly Assaulting Police Orderly

A Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja has remanded a human rights activist, Prof. Zainab Duke-Abiola, and her domestic staff, Rebecca Enechido, for allegedly assaulting a female officer, Inspector Teju Moses, attached to her.

Duke-Abiola is the widow of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, late M.K.O Abiola.

The court ruled that Duke-Abiola would remain in Suleja prison till next month when the case would be coming up for hearing, after Court  was told how she assaulted female officer, Inspector Teju Moses, attached to her  for allegedly for refusing to do house chores.

Duke-Abiola and her maid were arraigned before the court on Friday by the Abuja police command to serve as a deterrent to other Nigerians that want to assault law enforcement officers across the country.

The duo were arraigned by the police over offense bordering on criminal conspiracy, hurt without provocation, attempt to commit culpable homicide, and an intentional insult to cause a breach of trust.

The court turned down the bail request presented before it by the defense legal practitioner during the hearing and ruled that she and the maid be remanded.

Gentechnews gathered that currently the third suspect who is a male was on the run to avert arrest after the incident in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Duke-Abiola, a Legal practitioner and human rights activist, and her staff arrest were approved by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, after preliminary investigations revealed that the female police officer, who was attached to the human rights activist, was assaulted for refusing to go against the ethics of her profession.

The IGP, Baba who condemned the assault through a statement released by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday, described the treatment from the Don and her maid to the female inspector as grievous.

Accordingly, the Police boss ordered withdrawal of all Police personnel attached to the female activists after the attack in Abuja.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer’s statement, Zainab Duke, an Mbaise-born activist, grievously assaulted her orderly in the company of some accomplices on Tuesday 20th September, 2022 at her residence in Garki, Abuja, due to the refusal of the orderly to breach professional ethics by carrying out menial and domestic chores at her house.

“It is pertinent to clarify that the suspect, Prof. Zainab, who name-drops the IGP, his family members, and other officers in the top hierarchy of the Force has no acquaintance with the Police in any form as erroneously peddled on social media.

“The Inspector-General of Police, who similarly ordered the withdrawal of all Police personnel attached to the Professor, expressed consternation at the fact that an individual who claims to be an advocate for Human Rights could stoop so low as to violate the rights of another individual, a police officer tasked with ensuring her protection”.