Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have apprehended five women for allegedly stripping Christabel Akhigbe naked over suspicions of phone theft in Benin City.
According to reports from DAILY POST, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adeboye, revealed the incident to journalists in Benin City. Adeboye stated that the women not only disrobed the victim but also recorded the humiliating act and shared it on various social media platforms.
The Commissioner explained that the suspects accused Christabel of stealing an Android phone belonging to one Blessing Lucky. Upon Christabel’s return of the phone to its owner, the women purportedly lured her into a room, assaulted her, stripped her naked, and threatened to apply pepper to her private parts. They then recorded the ordeal and disseminated the video online.
Following a complaint, police operatives swiftly arrested the suspects, who later confessed to the crime. The arrested individuals were identified as Blessing Lucky (15), Jennifer Eboigbe (30), Iziegbe Ogbodu (39), Naomi Ekhonetomwan (17), and Lucky Endurance (16). They face charges of indecent assault and cyberstalking.
Commissioner Adeboye cautioned against citizens taking the law into their own hands, highlighting the irony that those who should have been complainants became suspects in this case. He assured collaboration with human rights organizations to ensure justice for the victim.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court soon.
In an interview, one of the suspects, Jennifer Eboigbe, expressed remorse for their actions, stating, “I am ashamed of what they did because I am a mother.” She recounted how her daughter reported her phone stolen and how they later retrieved it from Christabel, expressing regret over the subsequent assault.
