The Take It Back (TIB) Movement, Lagos State Chapter, has secured the refund of ₦20,000 reportedly extorted from a student of Kwara State Polytechnic by men of the Nigerian police force.
According to the Lagos State Coordinator of the movement, Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek, the incident occurred at Berger, Lagos, when the student was travelling to Lagos.
The intervention followed reports that the student was detained despite no incriminating item being found on him and was only released after officers reportedly collected the money, contrary to a directive for his unconditional release.
Taofeek stated that the only item discovered during a search was “white celestial soap,” questioning the basis of the arrest. “Is having soap in one’s custody a criminal offence?” he asked.
He explained that while he was handling a separate matter at the Elere Police Division, he received a distress call regarding the student’s detention. He immediately attempted to contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Ojodu Division but was initially unable to reach her.
Taofeek said he then contacted the Area Commander at the Area F Command Ikeja, who assured him that “the boy would be released if someone could go to the station.”
Shortly afterwards, the DPO returned his call. “I explained the situation, and she promised to look into it promptly,” he said.
According to the TIB coordinator, the DPO subsequently issued a clear directive for the student to be released unconditionally. However, he alleged that officers at the station proceeded to extort ₦20,000 from the student before releasing him, “When the DPO called back to confirm his release, I informed her that he had indeed been released but only after being extorted the sum of ₦20,000,” Taofeek stated.
He described the DPO’s reaction as one of visible anger and disappointment. “While still on the call, I could hear her reprimanding the officers, calling them out for their misconduct and disobedience. She made it clear that she had ordered an unconditional release, not extortion,” he said.
In what he described as a commendable display of professionalism and accountability, the DPO reportedly instructed that the student should return to the station for a full refund of the alleged ₦20,000 collected from him.
“This is the kind of policing Nigerians deserve, leadership that does not condone abuse and is willing to take immediate corrective action,” Taofeek said.
In a related development last week, the Take It Back (TIB) Movement, Lagos State Chapter, also secured the release of a young woman identified as Julius Faith, who was reportedly detained at the Iponri Police Station over a lost SIM card and allegedly pressured to pay ₦1.2 million.
According to the Coordinator, the Chapter received information from the Ogun State Chapter of TIB that Faith had been arrested following claims that her phone number was used to carry out a fraudulent transaction traced from Kwara State to Lagos.
Faith reportedly informed the police that she lost the SIM card in 2022 and had no knowledge of any fraudulent activity linked to it. Adeyemi explained that her only lapse was failing to formally report the loss of the SIM card, a step he noted many Nigerians often overlook due to stress and bureaucratic processes.
Adeyemi further alleged that the woman was detained and that officers demanded ₦1.2 million before granting her bail, a demand he described as unlawful and unjust.
“When I contacted the Divisional Police Officer of Iponri Division, he claimed he was not aware of the situation,” Adeyemi said. “Shortly after, we were informed that the officers were preparing to transfer the lady to Kwara State because she could not meet the ₦1.2 million demand.”
He added that he subsequently reached out to the Police Public Relations Officer in Kwara State and provided relevant contact details. Following the intervention, the officer reportedly called back, denied that any money was demanded, and the woman was released shortly afterward without making any payment.
Adeyemi described the incident as part of a pattern of intimidation and alleged extortion affecting innocent citizens, stressing that no Nigerian should be detained or pressured for money over a lost SIM card.
Leave a Reply