Nigeria Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has alleged that the female police officer, Edith Uduma dismissed after she made public a video of a male Sergeant, Abraham Uzuobo who allegedly ravished or sexually molested an underage or minor in police cell at South Ibie Divisional Headquarters in the Etsako West local government area of Edo State, attempted to make money from the video recording by refusing to report the incident to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO Lilian Osemwegie, instead, demanded ₦1,000,000 ransom from the suspect who ran away after the crime, but the IGP allegation had since been dismissed as incorrect, false and misleading by Edith Uduma, saying, it was the DPO who asked her to play along to demand the ₦1,000,000 so that the fleeing police officer can be captured.

IGP in a statement on Tuesday claimed that  the suspected Sergeant, Abraham Uzuobo only made attempt on the minor but the video showed that something were already and obviously going on before Inspector Edith Uduma invaded the scene of crime to intercept the suspect with a video recording. 

There are speculations in the public domain that the Nigeria Police Force authorities may have conspired to sack Inspector Edith Uduma for taking the bold step by thus making the video public which apparently dent the corporate image of the Nigeria Police Force and lower public confidence on the safety of female suspects especially minors in Police detention facilities across the West Africa country.

Another version of speculations indicated that Inspector Edith Uduma may have sensed possible act of compromise and conspiracy to cover up the crime by police authorities in the Division and Edo State Command, hence, she made the video public for obvious personal safety.

Reports indicated that it was when the video went viral on social media platforms, that was, when the Police authority apparently took the matter serious and began disciplinary action

It was gathered that the policeman after allegedly raping the near 17 years old girl inside the police station, the Minor lost consciousness as she was seen in the video lying down looking so weak while Inspector Edith Uduma was heard shouting “You want to put me into trouble! You want to put me into trouble!!” Just as the suspected rapist, Police Sergeant Abraham Uzuobo was seen pants down begging Edith Uduma to stop video recording and appealed to her to cover up the crime.

Meanwhile, Edith Uduma, has threatened to end her life and those of her children, claiming her dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force was unjust and orchestrated to silence her after exposing the rape incident involving her colleague.

She accused the state police command to have unjustly dismissed her, saying the public had not also heard her side of the story.

Uduma’s dismissal came after a viral video that she captured in October 2024 showed one Sergeant Abraham Uzuobo, another officer, said to have raped a near 17-year-old girl at the police station in the South Ibie area of Edo State.

The officer was seen hurriedly wearing his trousers and querying why Edith was making a video recording. The girl was seen lying on a chair in the room in the course of this.

The Edo State Police Command, in a statement released in November by its Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, alleged that Uduma conspired with her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed, to extort ₦1,000,000 from Abraham to cover up the incident. When Abraham reportedly offered ₦45,000 instead, the video was leaked online.

“That, contrary to reports from certain quarters, the said female police officer, AP/NO 228719 Inspector Edith Uduma, was the Charge Room Officer on October 7, 2024, the night F/NO 504694 Sergeant Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect in the station.

“The female officer, instead of reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer or the Incident Duty Officer as the case may be, for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, AP NO 228652 Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed, whom she conspired with to unlawfully demand the sum of ₦1,000,000 from the sergeant to assist him in concealing the matter.

“Following these events, an orderly room trial was initiated against all the officers, which led to the dismissal of Sergeant Abraham and Inspector Edith Uduma. Uduma’s husband was also demoted to the rank of Sergeant”, Edo State Police Command stated in quote.

Punch Newspaper reported that Edith Uduma denied the allegations in an interview with Punch Metro, insisting she never extorted money and that she was not given a fair hearing. She alleged that her dismissal was orchestrated because she lacked influential connections.

“Uduma who threatened to kill herself if she didn’t get justice said: “What the Edo Command is saying is not what happened. They know I have no rank or support to fight back,” Uduma said.

She further revealed that the Force Headquarters in Abuja was still investigating the matter only for the Edo command to hurriedly dismiss her.

“I want justice. My dismissal is unjust,” she said tearfully. She said her husband who was also sanctioned had no connection to the matter.

“He (my husband) used to bring something for me to eat. He brought food that time to the station.

“If Nigerians refuse to listen to me – because my husband has been in detention, and they have been looking for me to arrest me, to charge me to court – if Nigeria refuses to listen to me, I will just poison all my children and myself. I will die. Because I’m just stranded like this,” she said, noting she had been in hiding and had not seen her children in a long time due to the incident.

She alleged that the DPO at the station prompted her to ask Sergeant Ibrahim for the ₦1,000,000 for negotiation when the sergeant reportedly disappeared after the incident, noting that this was to lure the suspect to show up.

According to her, she is surprised how the DPO and other officers allegedly turned the matter against her.

“If the police force can do this to a police officer, how much more to the innocent and civilians?”

The spokesperson for the Edo command, Moses Yamu, has not responded to calls and a text message put across to him on Sunday.

Punch Metro gathered that the then Divisional Police Officer of the station at the time the incident occurred, SP Lilian Osemwegie, has now retired.

A call was put across to a number said to be hers but a woman who responded after a question from our respondent, said, “Wrong number, wrong number.” Punch Metro cannot immediately verify if the former DPO was the one on the call, but a police source insisted it was her number”, Punch Newspaper report ends in quote.

On Tuesday, IGP Kayode Egbetokun while speaking through the Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, defended the allegations against Edith Uduma and stated in details below:

“The Nigeria Police Force hereby reaffirms its justification for the dismissal of one Edith Uduma, a former Police Inspector, who was recently dismissed for her act of gross misconduct and complicity surrounding the alleged rape of a 17-year-old female suspect by one Abraham Uzuobo.

It would be recalled that in a video that went viral on social media, where a Police Sergeant was alleged to have raped a female suspect in the station on October 7th 2024, former police Inspector Edith Uduma was the Charge Room Officer (CRO) on duty.

The video emerged online one week following the occurrence. A thorough investigation into the matter conducted by the Edo State Police Command uncovered that the Police Sergeant, identified as Sergeant Abraham Uzuobo, had removed the victim from the cell and taken her to an unoccupied office, where he attempted to engage in sexual acts with her.

During the act, Uduma had walked in and recorded the act. However, instead of immediately making a documented entry on the matter in the Incident Record of the Station which was under her charge, and thereafter reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, she took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, Ibrahim Mohammed, who was also a Police Inspector, both of whom conspired to unlawfully demand the sum of One Million Naira from the Sergeant to assist him in concealing the matter.

However, the Sergeant offered only ₦45,000 in cash which they collected at that instance and after a few days, contacted the Sergeant to request the same sum of ₦1,000,000, but the Sergeant refused to comply. Dissatisfied by his refusal to follow through with the blackmail, they decided to report the erring officer to the DPO and also simultaneously share the video on social media.

Everyone culpable in this case has been sanctioned appropriately as there is no intention to impede justice. The erring Sergeant has been dismissed and prosecuted and is currently in prison custody as the trial progresses. Inspector Edith Uduma was also dismissed for her role, while her complicit husband has been reduced to the rank of corporal.

However, it has come to the attention of the Force that following her dismissal, Mrs Edith has made numerous unfounded claims regarding her innocence and has sought to taint the reputation and integrity of the adjudicating authority, the Inspector-General of Police in person, and the entire Police Force.

It is imperative to set the record straight and provide clear context regarding her actions and the decision to dismiss her from service. The dismissal of former Police Inspector Edith Uduma was not only justified but necessary, based on thorough investigations that presented irrefutable evidence of her failure to follow standard incident report protocol to immediately document the incident, attempt to conceal an offender for benefit, participation in extortion and manipulating the justice process for personal gain.

The Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, stands firmly against any form of misconduct, particularly in cases of such grave nature involving vulnerable victims.

The Force maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, blackmail, and any behavior that seeks to pervert the cause of justice. The actions of the dismissed officer were in direct violation of the values and standards upheld by the Nigeria Police Force, and other extant laws of Nigeria.

The Nigeria Police Force is committed to transparency and accountability. The Force remains resolute in its mission to uphold the law and protect the rights of all individuals. We urge members of the public to disregard the sponsored publications against the stance of the Force, and remain vigilant and support legitimate initiatives aimed at achieving justice, rather than being led astray by baseless claims from those seeking to deflect responsibility for their actions”, the Police statement ends in quote: