A woman named Oluwatoyin Ajogbor has accused police officers at Agbowa-Ikosi Divisional Headquarter under Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State of illegal arrest and extortion.
Ajogbor, in a video seen by SaharaReporters, narrated how she was arrested after withdrawing cash from a POS operator in the area.
According to her, it was the same policemen, who directed her to where she could find a POS operator that arrested her and collected the N10,000 to buy food items to survive the lockdown in the city.
The young lady disclosed that she was taken to the police station and detained there from 11:00am until 8:00pm when she was finally released to go after being forced to part ways with all the money she had collected that morning.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Ajogbor revealed that the policemen also illegally arrested others and forced them to also pay N10,000 each before being released.
She said, “The incident happened in Agbowa on Tuesday morning when I went out with a friend to buy food items because there was nothing in the house to eat again.
“I went round the town looking for a POS operator but couldn’t find any and there is no bank in Agbowa to use their ATM.
“We met some policemen at a checkpoint, they stopped and asked us where we were heading to. I explained to them that I was looking for a POS operator so that I could withdraw some money to buy food items.
“They thereafter described where we could find a POS operator around the place.
“I thanked the policemen and went to the POS operator. He only had N10,000 available, so I collected everything even though I wanted more.
“Suddenly to my surprise, one of the policemen jumped into my car and asked me to drive to their station.
“I explained to them why I was out and moreover the government said we could go out to get food between 10:00am and 2:00pm.
“So, they took us to Agbowa Police Station and we were detained until 8:00pm because the DTO, one Adebayo Ojo, wasn’t around.
“When Ojo came, he told us he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, that we should get out and go and see one Sergeant Adeleke, a woman. It was this female sergeant that collected the N10,000 from us.
“Immediately we got to her, she told us that the DTO sent her to us and that our fine was N10,000 each.
“Funny enough, it was this same DTO, Adebayo Ojo, Sergeant Adeleke and others that led me to the POS guy from whom I collected cash before being arrested.
“The police officers at that station collected all the money and made me go back home empty-handed without food to survive this lockdown.”
Following Ajogbor’s sharing of the video of her experience on social media, Nigerians have continued to react to the incident, with some in fact recalling how police officers from that same station had extorted money from them in the past.
“This woman is right, Agbowa policemen have done this to me before. I was going for my uncle’s birthday. I had my driver’s licence and my vehicle papers were complete.
“The policemen told me to open the booth of my car and I did, he saw one speaker in it and started asking me for permit.
“Before I knew what was happening, they drove my car to their station and collected N5000 from me.
“They also collected N500 at the gate of the police station before I was allowed to go,” one Akeem Raji on Facebook said.
Another Facebook user, Yusuf Olamide Farouk, narrated how officers from the station detained a corpse on Wednesday.
He said, “They arrested a corpse that was meant to be buried on Wednesday and drove it to their station. They have turned checkpoints into a business points.”
Mizta Skippo Omo Ogbon, another Facebook user, accused the DPO of the station, Abolaji Amuda, of turning the place into a business centre.
He said, “All what this woman said is right, 100 per cent right.
“The DPO is the one behind it. He has turned the station into a business venture by extorting money people. Something must be done.
“People are complaining about this evil man. Once you go there to lodge a complaint or report, you will be forced to pay N5,000 before policemen take down your statement.”
Reacting to the development on Thursday evening, spokesperson for the police in Lagos, Bala Elkana, announced that the errant officers had been arrested by the state command.
He said, “Attention of Lagos State Police Command is drawn to a video on social media in which a Lady alleged that her vehicle was impounded by the Divisional Traffic Officer, Agbowa Division, and a female sergeant.
“She equally accused the officers of extorting money from her. After analysing the video, the officers mentioned were identified by our operatives and arrested. They are Assistant Superintendent of Police Adebayo Ojo and Sergeant Adeleke Mojisola.
“The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered an in-depth investigation into the case.”
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