A woman who was seen in a video that went viral on social media, slapping a policeman, in Oyo State, has been arrested.

The woman, a single parent with six children, is identified as Kehinde Afolake, while the identity of the cop she assaulted is Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP and Divisional Crime Officer, Eruwa Police Division, Adeyemo Ogunyemi.

Adeyemi, who displayed an uncommon restraint, was seen in the video enduring 13 slaps, from the woman.

He had led a team of policemen to carry out the COVID-19 enforcement duties at Gbolagunte, Okeola area of Eruwa, Ibarapa, Oyo State on May 1 2020.

In the video, the woman was seen rough handling Adeyemi and at the same time shouting that the policemen slapped her.

As she was explaining to the crowd that gathered, she landed slaps intermittently on the cop’s face, to the astonishment of spectators.

Rather than retaliate, Adeyemi took the assault in his stride and was heard refraining his angry subordinates who attempted to lose him from the woman’s grip, apparently to avoid an escalation of the situation.

The woman was alleged to have also bitten a policewoman who went to effect her arrest, the next day. She was eventually whisked to the station.

Reacting to the assault when his attention was drawn to the video, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, commended Adeyemi, for what he described as uncommon restraint and professionalism in the face of the unprovoked attack.

The IGP, through the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, said, “the officer, like a lamb being led to the slaughter, did not fight back but rather, maintained absolute calm, patience and decorum even as the woman rough handled him and slapped him severally.

“The said woman also assaulted two female police officers, Inspr. Ojola Abiola and Inspr. Queen Eguaoje and gave one of the human bites on Saturday, May 2, 2020, during an attempt to invite her to the Police Station for the earlier incident of serious assault on the DCO. The Ewura incident thus is a classic example of unprovoked, unwarranted and unnecessary attacks faced by police officers in the course of performing their legitimate duties. The IGP, therefore, warns that this trend will no longer be tolerated by the Force”.

He disclosed that since the commencement of the COVID-19 enforcement duties, 27 police personnel had suffered a series of attacks and assaults from members of the public at different times and different locations.

Many of these officers, according to the IGP, were still in hospitals receiving treatment from the injuries sustained during such attacks.

He said, ”These include a female police officer, PC Ngozi Nkem, in Agbor, Delta State who was seriously assaulted when a police team was dispersing a group of persons holding a birthday party in clear disobedience to the social restrictions and distancing orders. Apart from the attack on the person of police officers, some of these citizens have equally carried out attacks on police assets and facilities. For example, two police stations and police quarters were attacked and burnt down in Katsina and Abia States while 15 police vehicles/motorcycles were also damaged”.

He, therefore, directed the Commissioner of Police, Oyo Command to carry out a discreet investigation into the Ewura attack on the police officers and ensure that justice was done, even as he urged citizens to continue to cooperate with the police and other security personnel by voluntarily complying with all COVID-19 prevention orders.

While warning against any unprovoked attack and assault on police officers in the course of their duties, threatening that perpetrators would be made to face the full wrath of the law, he, reiterated that the Force would continue to hold officers accountable and mete out commensurate punishments on any person who violated the rights of the citizens.