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  • Updated: March 20, 2021

Nigerian Lawyer Asks Lagos Police Boss To Release American Lady Who Was Detained Indefinitely

Nigerian Lawyer Asks Lagos Police Boss To Release American L

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has asked the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, to order the immediate release of a detained American lady, Kari Ann R’ouke.

The lady was said to have been arrested on February 9 and detained indefinitely over the death of her partner.

R’ouke, an American nurse, had approached the Federal High Court, Lagos, over her unlawful and indefinite detention by the Nigerian Police Force.’

In a statement released on Saturday, the legal practitioner raised the alarm over the worsening health of the American national in the Nigeria police custody.

The human rights lawyer said the expectations were high that the US Citizen would be released on Friday from custody, because he had fulfilled all her bail conditions and the acceptance of her surety.

The statement read in part, “Kari Ann has been in police custody since March 9, 2021, at SCID, Panti, Yaba, where she has lost about 23 pounds and suffered bouts of malaria and dysentery. She has a delicate health condition of severe anaemia, for which she is due for comprehensive medical treatment in America.”

“On March 19, 2021, responsible sureties visited the SCID in Yaba, to sign all documents for the expected release of Kari Ann, with her lawyers, who all spent hours at the police department till late in the night, when they were later informed to go. Upon the execution and perfection of the bail papers, Kari Ann was told to pack her belongings which she did, only to be told later on to go back into custody.

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“It is on this basis that the eminent lawyer has appealed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, to use his good offices to direct the immediate release of Kari Ann, so that she can attend to her health urgently.

“Autopsy report into the death has consistently shown that he died of cardiac trauma and heart related conditions and that Kari Ann is not in any way connected with the death or suspected of any foul play in any manner whatsoever.”

Adegboruwa expressed concern that the police authorities were keeping R’ouke in perpetual custody for over a month now without any charge before a court of law.

The senior lawyer noted that with the Coronavirus pandemic, it is not safe for any one of R’ouke’s age, considering her underlying condition to be kept in police custody for an indefinite period of time.

He then called on the police to respect the rule of law and the liberty and freedom of Kari Ann, arguing that she is presumed innocent under the law.  

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