Nigerian Police ‘Yet To Locate’ Officers Who Demanded Suspect’s ATM Card, Extorted N150,000

The Nigeria Police Force on Saturday said it is still searching for the officers who reportedly accosted an innocent Lagos resident seven days ago and demanded for his ATM card.

The victim was made to part with N150,000 despite not being found to be a criminal.

Casey Patrick, identified as @qasebeatz on Twitter, on November 1, called the attention of the Lagos Command to the incident which he said happened on October 29 along Admiralty way, by Tantalizers in Lekki.

Patrick, who described himself as a music producer, said the officers accosted him on his way home from a music concert where he was searched and subsequently accused as an internet fraudster without evidence.

He said he was subsequently taken to the Alagbon station under the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), despite cooperating with the officers.

He wrote on Twitter, “They asked to search me and I complied, even though I was in a hurry to get home before it was 12 am. The officer was being aggressive with his words. And I asked him to not talk to me in that manner and he took it for a challenge.

“Other police officers arrived in two cars charging towards me saying I was challenging a police officer. I disagreed then he began insulting me and reached for my phone immediately and asked me to open it, instructed 4 armed officers to get into my car and asked me to follow.

“I asked, “for what”? They accused me of fraud calling me a yahoo boy with no evidence to justify their accusations. They finally got me to the police station in Ikoyi and sent me behind the desk and threatened to lock me up.”

Patrick reported that the officers had checked his account and demanded that the money be shared “50-50” but when he refused, they threatened him.

“They said I was playing with my life so they put me back in the car and drove off again at this point the officer was speaking to the other officer in the passenger seat in Hausa language. I understand a bit of Hausa so I could understand what they were saying.

“He said this boy has nothing on him but let’s just take the money and let him go. So, he requested 200K and I told him it was my rent money so he later settled for 150k”.

The music producer said the officers had asked for his ATM, but he declined to have one, so they search his car. After a futile effort, they reportedly demanded that the fund be transferred to an external bank account and did not release him until the payment was confirmed.

When THE WHISTLER reached out to Patrick, he said the two officers who directly challenged him were in mufti and appeared superior to the others who were in police uniforms.

He said, “I can identify only two of them because the others were not up in my face most of the time, and I think the two men who were on me were their superiors.

“They were not in uniform but the others were. One of the two men is of average height, a bit chubby and light-skinned while the other is dark-skinned and taller. Both men keep a low hairstyle. Both speak Hausa language.

“They picked me up at Admiralty way just by tantalizers, and took me to Alagbon police station.”

Patrick told this newspaper that the police were yet to reach out to him or address the case, and this is despite giving proper details of the incident on Twitter and tagging the necessary authorities.

The Lagos State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Ben Hundeyin, and the Force Spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had earlier confirmed that the case occurred, but around the FCID Alagbon jurisdiction. The latter noted that the FCID, Alagbon will address the issue.

THE WHISTLER, however, contacted all relevant parties including CSP Adejobi; Alagbon FCID Spokesperson, Adeniyi and the Head of the FCID, Eguaoje Funmilayo on the issue.

The CSP Adejobi said “The PPRO (Alagbon) is on it. He contacted me last night”, while the Alagbon spokesperson on his part said, “Efforts are on to locate the officers, please”.

Nigerians on different occasions have called out the police over unlawful extortion of innocent persons by its operatives, especially through blackmail.