A student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Adebisi Sherifat Abiola has narrated how some policemen at a checkpoint in the Ojota area of Lagos State extorted him of his school fees running into N150,000.
The student disclosed this in an X post and said the incident occurred at 11:23 am on Saturday.
He said, “At exactly 11:23 AM today, I and my friend got assaulted by the Nigerian Police Force at Ojota, Lagos.
“I’ve been hearing and seeing police brutality on social media, I never prayed for a day like this.
“We were coming from Alakuko. I ordered an InDrive to Ebute, Ikorodu.
“We got stopped at Ojota by a first group of armed police. They asked us to get down from the vehicle. They asked to search my phone. I opened it for them knowing fully well I have nothing implicating on my phone. They asked me what I do. I told them I’m a student. They asked me to open my portal, which I did and showed them my school ID.”
Abiola disclosed that the policemen let them leave having found nothing incriminating on his phone.
“On our way, in less than 1 minute after we’ve gone past the first set, we saw another set of armed police, about 10 of them. They stopped us and asked same questions: what do I do, and am I into fraudulent activities, which I answered respectfully saying I am not.
“They asked to search my phone, I opened it, opened my portal. Then one of them snatched my phone from me and was searching. He saw trading apps and saw trading groups on my WhatsApp.
“He then revolted saying I’m into cryptocurrency that cryptocurrency is illegal in Nigeria and I have to follow them to the station.
“Then they took me and my friend to their vehicle, a fully tinted Sienna. I got assaulted there saying we have to go to the station, that we would be investigated by their boss at the office. I got scared, because of police brutality I’ve been hearing and seeing on X. I never believed one day this will happen to me.
“They asked me to pay 200 thousand naira if I want to go home without being taken to the station.
“I was frightened. I told them I do not have that amount, that I’m a student.
“Then they took me to a POS merchant. They said I should send N150,000 naira to the POS merchant.”
Abiola shared a transaction receipt which showed that the POS operator, one Alice Hadiya Odeh with a Kuda Bank account received N150,000 from Adebisi Sherifat Abiola with an Opay account.
“I have the receipt with me and the POS account number.
“I have been brutalised and forced to send the money I’m meant to use as my school fees.
“Help me please, I don’t want to be assaulted in vain,” the student said.
Reacting, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi directed the Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos, SP Benjamin Hundeyin to investigate the matter and fish out the officers involved as urgent as possible.
“Checking of peoples phones by police operatives on the road is not allowed and the force has condemned such, and we need to act on complaints like this,” the police image-maker said.(Agency Report)
