Temitope Oluwa, an Ondo State resident, has narrated on Twitter how the Nigerian Police personnel assaulted and extorted N40,000 from him at a checkpoint in Omu-Aran, Ifelodun Local Area of Kwara State.
Oluwa disclosed that the police officers stopped a bus he boarded at Omu-Aran checkpoint on his way from Akure, Ondo State, to attend his friend’s wedding ceremony in Kwara.
“The only identification that the policemen had was a jacket they were putting on their mufti clothes. They were all armed including the driver.
“They stopped my car; which is a public transport, told us to come down. I came down, one officer was joking with me, I responded well. I asked them why they were checking our phones. I said I thought it was not legal, based on what @Princemoye1 always says. Never knew that’s an offence.
“I was slapped from behind that my phone fell off my hand, only God knows what these guys are doing. I was detained, that I should call @Princemoye1.”
He continued:
“After several hours, I complained I was hungry, my phone wasn’t even in the station, I couldn’t make call to any of my people as well. I knew I’d have to come here to report my case; hence I played with them because they were telling me to bring N200,000.
“I had two bundles of 200 notes (N40,000) which I held for my friend’s wedding, I had to beg them to collect the money. They collected it and they were just releasing me since 9am. It’s 3pm now.
“@Princemoye1 sir, all I could see is the plate on their patrol vehicle which is NPF 558 OD, the name of the officer that detained me INSPECTOR ALEX, the name of the officer that released me INSPECTOR AJAYI.”
Meanwhile, while reacting to this incident, the Police Public Relation Officer, Kwara State Command, Okansanmi Ajayi, said the suspected police officers had been arrested by the state command and the matter was being thoroughly investigated.
“The victims have been contacted and invited to come and identify the men for proper investigation,” Ajayi added.