Nigerian father weeps as corrupt police officers demand N10,000 before freeing innocent citizens
Owutu Police Station in Ikorodu Lagos, if judged by the recent actions of four of its officers, is a disgrace to the Nigeria Police Force.
The four officers, one of them reportedly wearing a uniform and armed with a rifle, were patrolling a street in the area when they bumped in on three apparently innocent men who were having a conversation near their home.
“Oya enter,” one of the officers ordered two of the men without stating why they had to “enter”.
“My friends wanted to resist but I told them it is a good thing to always obey law enforcement officers,” Gbelela Michael, who was among the trio, told NewsroomNG on Monday.
“They didn’t arrest me. I was the one telling my friends to follow the police to the station. I also followed them. It was 11am today (Monday). We were walking down our own street.
“Immediately we got to Owutu Police Station, the officers took three of us to a room at the back of the main building and ordered us to remove our shirts and sit on the floor. They told us we looked like some militants on police wanted list. There were other topless ‘suspects’ in the room. I was shocked.
“The police didn’t collect my phone. I was trying to reach my friends in the media to alert them to the situation when the phone battery went flat. Some of my friends got the message and rallied for help.
“I was worried about my children who were home. They didn’t know their father had just been unlawfully arrested by police officers who should be protecting the people.
“I told the officers to take us to the counter in the main building so we could write a statement and properly defend ourselves. They initially refused but I insisted. I did that so the DPO won’t feign ignorance of the case when it gets into public domain.
“I followed my neighbours to the station because I knew we were innocent. I believed the police were responsible gentlemen who would not attempt defrauding, maltreating or extorting money from innocent people. I was wrong.
“After I wrote the statement, the police still wouldn’t let us go. A friend came around and pleaded with the officers but they refused. They said we looked like militants. They said we had gathered at the street unlawfully.
“I told my friend to stop begging them that I was waiting for the kind of lies the police wanted to fabricate against innocent and law-abiding citizens.
Report police corruption, abuse and brutality to NewsroomNG. We will get the word out. Click here to begin.
“The police didn’t let us go until they collected N10,000 from my friend. When I found out, I cried. I cried because this shouldn’t happen.
“The officers at Owutu Police Station have let us down. I trusted the police. They let me down. They arrested us unlawfully and after realising we were innocent didn’t let us go freely. They should have apologised for their actions but didn’t.
“Even if we were guilty, ‘bail is free’ the police keep telling us. They are lying.”
Gbelela and his friends were released close to two hours after being unlawfully arrested.
The police were not available to comment on this story.
Gbelela’s friends used Facebook to alert the public to the arrests.
After regaining his freedom, Gbelela also took to social media to tell his online friends about it.
.
