Festac Residents Bemoan Police Extortion, Urge CP Fayoade’s Intervention

By Mary BASSEY, Senior Investigator Correspondent Lagos/

LAGOS-RESIDENTS of Festac and environs have accused the Police in the community of gross extortion and harassment and want the Commissioner of Police CP Adegoke Fayoade to take urgent action to checkmate this brazen unprofessionalism.Residents say, the policemen would mount checkpoints at Durba Hotel and Apple Junctions respectively and start checking any and every vehicle that ply the route and forcibly collecting money from them with threat of being taken to the station and detained.

They lamented that whether your vehicle papers were genuine or not, the police must find fault to collect money from you.A resident of Festac extension estate, Mr. Ben Chukwuma who spoke to the Guardian said he had had to meet the DPO over the unprofessional act of the policemen adding that the DPO said the policemen were not from his Division. He said, “Everyday especially, on Fridays I watched with dismay they way these our brothers in uniform harass and extort money from motorists and I wonder if this is the same police established to safeguard the life and propert of the citizenry.  I had to meet with the DPO, CSP Balogun to complain as a concerned citizen and he told me point blank that his men can never indulge in such act because he lectures them regularly adding that the men are from a police post on 7th Avenue. I went to the police post at the said 7th Avenue but the men on duty said their OC was not on ground. It is disgusting, really.”

A motorist who sells cars on 3rd Aven Mr. Okey Nkemakola said he was a victim of the antics of the policemen at Apple Junction adding that he parted with N100,000 before he was left off the hook. According to him,  “That Friday evening I had gone to Ago Palaceway to see a friend and I was driving back to pack one of the  cars which I sell and I was flagged down. Initially, the Policeman was very civil, saying happy weekend. 

To me, I thought of giving N500 but later, we were joined by two others and one of them quarried why are you driving unregistered vehicle, are you sure you didn’t snatch it. I smiled at him and said this car is for sale and that I just drove to Ago Palaceway to see a friend. All my explanations fell on deaf ears as he screamed; come down for a search. I obey and came down and they started searching. They demanded for the particulars I told them the vehicle had not been registered and that the customs clearing documents were in my shop at 3rd Avenue where I had my shop, but it was to no avail. They collected my vehicle key parked it properly from the road and said the vehicle had become an exhibit car. I was there with them till after 8pm begging them but they refused. While there, I watched with discomfiture, the manner with which they were searching people’s bags and phones.

Those ‘guilty’ will part with some sums ranging from N20,000 to N50,000. Later, the leader of the team asked everyone to enter the mini bus they came by while two entered my vehicle and we drove off. Rather than take us to the Festac Division, we were taken to 7th Avenue,  a police post. One of them, I saw his name tag written Odion, I approached him and explained everything to him and he said since we had gotten to the station, I will be charged with driving stolen vehicle and arraigned tomorrow morning in court.

I begged him for almost 30 minutes but he left me for nearby drinking pub. I was perplexed.  When he came back finally, he said because I had been with them for so long I should go and bring N200,000 and go with my car. I called a friend who sent me N50,000 and I went to a POS point and got another N50,000 to make it N100,000 which I handed over to him. Initially, he rejected the amount and threw it at me but after sometime, he called me to bring the money and warned that if actually I am a vehicle dealer, I must always have the Customs clearing documents in the car if I must drive it. That was how I left the police post at about past 10pm that day.”

At the DPO office, CSP Balogun told the Guardian that the men at the 7th Avenue were nothing but thieves picked from several Divisions and put together at the Post. To him, the men are not doing police work but extorting innocent Nigerians. He said when reports were flooding his table about police extortion he had to call his men and they all denied ever being involved in such but quickly added that it could be men from the 7th Avenue police post or the Area Command.

According to him, “Well, you know that I am not qualified to speak to you because we have a PPRO, but this is an allegation rubbing off on all of us, especially my men. Every act of extortion and unprofessionalism is done by men from the 7th Avenue and sometime, Area Command.  I complained bitterly on several occasions to the Area Commander about their act. When ACP Albert Afegbai was here, he said I should take over the control of that police post but I said, Oga I already have three police posts I can not add that to my workload and besides, these people were picked randomly from different Divisions, I can’t control them. So he took over the control of the men. But after some time, he became tired when complaints started hitting his desk. 

As I speak, the men are on their own; nobody is controlling them. I am making arrangement to talk to our new CP because these men are giving all of us bad name,” he added.

It was not possible to get the reaction of the Command’s PRO SP Benjamin Hundeyin on the matter as his phone rang out. He has yet to respond to a text message sent to him as of the time of this report.