ARMED ROBBERS IN POLICE UNIFORM
I had an agonizing experience with some men who claim to be "Nigerian Police Officers" on duty at the Amuwo Odofin/Festac axis, today Friday 4th May, 2018.
I left my house at Oshodi to pick my International Passport at Festac Passport Office in the morning. At 2nd Rainbow bus stop, I took a bike to make the trip faster. Just after descending that small 'bridge' connecting Amuwo-odofin to Festac, the bike man suddenly stopped in front of some *Police man" standing on the road, welding their guns. As I was asking the bike man why he stopped, the "Police Men" swooped on me, dragging me to a small white bus parked beside the road. I saw many other young men packed like sardines inside the bus. In alarm I asked one of the two "Police men" pushing me, what my offense was. He ignored me and just snatched my phone from my hand and ordered me to put in my password. I obeyed. He went through my contacts, messages, emails, WhatsApp etc. He seemed not to find what he was looking for. Then he started interrogating me and I told them that I finished my NYSC two years ago but can't find a job yet, so I decided to get an Inter. Passport in case an opportunity to travel out comes my way, hence my trip to Passport Office to collect my Passport.They asked me how much I have in my Bank accounts. I told them I had less than N5,000 in my Access account from where I withdrew N3,500 about an hour ago (I showed them the money and the alert on my phone). Also, I have Zero bal on my Diamond a/c. One of them slapped me, saying I was lying and that am an Internet Fraudster and that he will shoot me if I don't cooperate. I said I don't know anything about what they're accusing of; that earned me another slap. I decided not to talk again. They forced me into the bus, saying they're taking me to Diamond bank to confirm my a/c bal. When we got to the Diamond Bank near Mega Chicken, they pushed me violently like a common criminal to the Customer Service and told the lady there that I am a suspected Fraudster and that they're investigating my account. All eyes were on me... I have never been so humiliated in my life! I wrote my a/c no and the lady checked and confirmed I don't have any money in my a/c. They shoved me out again back into the white small bus.
At the end of it all, they collected the N3,500 with me and asked me to go, around 4pm. All my pleas to leave at least N500 for me for my transport fell on deaf ears. I trekked to the Passport Office and had to beg an officer there for transport fare to go back home and he obliged me with N500, after listening pathetically to my story. He confirmed it's a daily occurrence especially at that same spot.
I don't know what to say but the frustration in this country is too much already. Can't the Police Authority in Lagos do something about these incessant abuses and unlawful humiliation of innocent and already agonized citizens? I saw many people including motorists, stopped, harassed, their phones seized and commanded to part with various sums of money!!
With tears in my eyes, I ask.... Can't anything be done to stop this Police brutality and torture in our land⁉Can't the Police Authorities so something to apprehend these armed robbers in Police Uniforms and bring them to book...at least to try to redeem their already battered image⁉
As I write this, I keep wondering what would have happened to all those people "captured" and bundled in that small white bus today. Perhaps, some may not be as "lucky" as I was...some may actually be shot (as threatened) for refusing or not being able to "cooperate".
I beg you my people, 🙏🙏Please share this painful account widely, to see if this recurring evil against innocent and depressed people in our society, would stop.
I had an agonizing experience with some men who claim to be "Nigerian Police Officers" on duty at the Amuwo Odofin/Festac axis, today Friday 4th May, 2018.
I left my house at Oshodi to pick my International Passport at Festac Passport Office in the morning. At 2nd Rainbow bus stop, I took a bike to make the trip faster. Just after descending that small 'bridge' connecting Amuwo-odofin to Festac, the bike man suddenly stopped in front of some *Police man" standing on the road, welding their guns. As I was asking the bike man why he stopped, the "Police Men" swooped on me, dragging me to a small white bus parked beside the road. I saw many other young men packed like sardines inside the bus. In alarm I asked one of the two "Police men" pushing me, what my offense was. He ignored me and just snatched my phone from my hand and ordered me to put in my password. I obeyed. He went through my contacts, messages, emails, WhatsApp etc. He seemed not to find what he was looking for. Then he started interrogating me and I told them that I finished my NYSC two years ago but can't find a job yet, so I decided to get an Inter. Passport in case an opportunity to travel out comes my way, hence my trip to Passport Office to collect my Passport.They asked me how much I have in my Bank accounts. I told them I had less than N5,000 in my Access account from where I withdrew N3,500 about an hour ago (I showed them the money and the alert on my phone). Also, I have Zero bal on my Diamond a/c. One of them slapped me, saying I was lying and that am an Internet Fraudster and that he will shoot me if I don't cooperate. I said I don't know anything about what they're accusing of; that earned me another slap. I decided not to talk again. They forced me into the bus, saying they're taking me to Diamond bank to confirm my a/c bal. When we got to the Diamond Bank near Mega Chicken, they pushed me violently like a common criminal to the Customer Service and told the lady there that I am a suspected Fraudster and that they're investigating my account. All eyes were on me... I have never been so humiliated in my life! I wrote my a/c no and the lady checked and confirmed I don't have any money in my a/c. They shoved me out again back into the white small bus.
At the end of it all, they collected the N3,500 with me and asked me to go, around 4pm. All my pleas to leave at least N500 for me for my transport fell on deaf ears. I trekked to the Passport Office and had to beg an officer there for transport fare to go back home and he obliged me with N500, after listening pathetically to my story. He confirmed it's a daily occurrence especially at that same spot.
I don't know what to say but the frustration in this country is too much already. Can't the Police Authority in Lagos do something about these incessant abuses and unlawful humiliation of innocent and already agonized citizens? I saw many people including motorists, stopped, harassed, their phones seized and commanded to part with various sums of money!!
With tears in my eyes, I ask.... Can't anything be done to stop this Police brutality and torture in our land⁉Can't the Police Authorities so something to apprehend these armed robbers in Police Uniforms and bring them to book...at least to try to redeem their already battered image⁉
As I write this, I keep wondering what would have happened to all those people "captured" and bundled in that small white bus today. Perhaps, some may not be as "lucky" as I was...some may actually be shot (as threatened) for refusing or not being able to "cooperate".
I beg you my people, 🙏🙏Please share this painful account widely, to see if this recurring evil against innocent and depressed people in our society, would stop.
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