Two Sisters Arrested After Their Brother’s Girlfriend Almost Bled To Death Following Failed Abortion

One Aniedi Emah Akpan is pleading with the Akwa Ibom State Police Command to release two sisters, who were arrested over a botched abortion carried out by their brother and his girlfriend.

According to Mr Akpan, the young girl started bleeding excessively after the induced abortion  carried out with the help of her 20-year-old boyfriend, who has since absconded. As his sister Mercy Okon and one Ime Steven, who were called to help, were about to take her to the hospital, the police arrived the compound and arrested them. The following day, when Victoria Okon went to visit her sister, Mercy, she was also arrested.  Read narrative below:

Arbitrary arrest and Intimidation of Miss Victoria Okon,  Miss Mercy Edem and Mr. Ime Steven by the “E Division,  Uyo”  police station,  Shelter Afrique.

Mr. Ime and Miss Victoria are staff of ROCKIES TAILORING ENTERPRISE. According,  to the police,  on December 3, 2017, they got a call from a Landlord claiming that someone committed abortion  and was bleeding heavily at his compound and that the boyfriend had absconded. The police went there and on getting there saw Mr. Ime Steven and Mercy Okon trying to take the girl to the hospital. They arrested both Ime Steven and Mercy Edet and took the girl to Precious Medical Centre (which is commendable).

On the 4th, Miss Victoria Okon went to the station to visit the sister, Mrs. Mercy Edet and was locked up. Victoria and Mercy are sisters to the boy who impregnated the girl. By 3pm on the 4th, I was at the station,  I went with the police to the hospital, paid up the balance of N15, 000 for treatment of the girl and told the doctor not to discharge her like they had wanted to but to keep her an extra day for observation.

I came back to the station to secure the release of the three persons arrested but was told the DPO had to be around. And that as early as 8am she will be around. As at 6pm that I am writing this,  they are still in cell; purportedly because the DPO is not around. I have lost 2days at work. And the police have been intimidating the detainees that they will be transferred to Ikot Akpan Abia.

The induced abortion was carried out between the boy and the said girl and non of those arrested where in the know. The only reason they are in cell beyond 48 hours is because they came to help the said girl who is a girlfriend to the brother. Ime Steven was called by Victoria to help  carry the girl.
I am pleading for the release of the detainees,  as after today I cannot come to sign their bail.

Thanks in anticipation.
Aniedi Emah Akpan