Olajide Omolola: Activist demands sack of unmarried policemen who impregnate women
Rights activist Joe Okei-Odumakin has urged the Inspector-General Police, Mohammed Adamu, to sack all policemen who impregnate women out of wedlock.
Okei-Odumakin, who leads Women Arise for Change Initiative, was reacting to the sacking of unmarried female corporal Olajide Omolola who was dismissed for getting pregnant.
The activist described the dismissal of Omolola as “pure discrimination”.
According to her, many male operatives in the Nigeria Police Force have at one time or the other impregnated ladies whom they were not married to.
She stressed that the Force must respect the equality of rights, and accord same regard to both genders in the Force.
“It is quite insensitive,” Okei-Odumakin told Punch on Thursday.
“The decision of the police authorities typifies the assault encountered by the average Nigerian woman in their workplace.
“We should be able to interrogate the system and also find out if the leadership within the system can also provide the number of men within the police force who have impregnated women out of wedlock and that have also served similar punishment.”
“It is quite sad knowing that at this point in the history of our country, an institution like the Nigeria Police Force” could slam such heavy punishment on a policewoman,” she noted.
Nigerians had expressed outrage over the sacking of Omolola. They slammed the police over what they described as a discriminatory law and called on rights group to fight for the woman.
The police, in a wireless message with reference number CJ:4161/EKS/IY/Vol.2/236, DTO:181330/01/2021 obtained by The PUNCH, said Omolola was dismissed for getting pregnant while unmarried.
The signal originated from the Department of Finance and Administration in Ado Ekiti and was addressed to the Divisional Police Officer at Iye Ekiti, where Omolola was based.
The chief financial officer in Ekiti was asked to relay the information to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System to ensure that her salary was stopped.
The document read, “Section 127 of the Police Act and Regulation against women police getting pregnant before marriage; W/PC (woman corporal) Olajide Omolola passed out of Police Training School on 24/04/2020 attached to yours, contravened above provisions.
“She stands dismissed from the Force. Dekit her. Retrieve police documents in her possession with immediate effect. O/C CFO Ekiti only. You are to relay signal to IPPIS Abuja for the stoppage of her salary with immediate effect.”
