The Lagos State Police Command has pledged to investigate some of its personnel’s alleged extortion of a motorist.
Bala Elkana, the State Police Public Relations Officer, informed journalists the command was already in touch with the victim and action was going to be taken.
The motorist had gone to social media to claim the police had extorted N45,000 from him for using Google map on his phone.
The motorist, who wrote on the twitter handle, @viva jc, said he was late for job in a sequence of tweets.
He said, “I was harassed by some policemen on my way to work this morning (Tuesday) at Ojota around 8.10am while I was in traffic. I had reached for my ID card and calculator (needed at work) from the armrest of my car, only for this unarmed policeman to jump in front of my car claiming that I was using the phone while driving. Of course, I argued with him and showed him the stuffs I had reached for, but he kept shouting.
“My reporting time was 9am and I didn’t want to get to the office late, so I rolled down and kept talking to him, only for his other colleagues (two in uniform and one not in uniform) to also join in the drama. The two guys in uniform took my keys and sat in the front seats, while the other two asked me to go to the back (seat) for us to go to the station.
“I was sandwiched between the two, who were not in uniform. Inside the car, they saw my phone; I was using Google map to get the best route to work and one of them kept saying that it was an offence to use Google map while driving.
“These policemen said they were going to charge me N120,000 for the ‘offence’. I had to resort to begging them when I realised that arguing with them wasn’t going to lead me anywhere and I didn’t want to get late to work.
“One of them asked for my driving licence; he snapped it with his phone and he started negotiating on how much they would collect, while they were driving me around feigning that they were taking me to the station.
“Throughout the negotiation, they took turns shouting at me while also playing the good cop and the bad cop in their minds. When they discovered that I needed to get to work as soon as possible, they kept saying the best they could do was to collect N50,000.
“After several pleas, the ‘good cop’, said they would only collect N45,000. By this time, we had got to Maryland and turned back (opposite direction to my office, which I had told them). At the end of the negotiation, they took me back to Maryland and parked by the roadside for me to go and withdraw money at the Wema Bank ATM (they had asked for the money to be withdrawn at the ATM); while one of them went with me, the other three stayed back in the car.”
I was harrassed by some policemen on my way to work this morning at Ojota around 08:10. I was in traffic. I had reached for my id card and calculator(needed at work) from the arm rest of my car only for this unarmed policeman to jump in front of my car
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/viva_jc/status/1163861681212153856
One of them went with me whilst the other 3 stayed back in the car.
I was able to get a short video of the 2 guys that sat in the front whilst getting my car back. These policemen collected my hard earned N45,000 for no reason and I still got late to work! This is injustice.— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
At the end of the whole "negotiation" , they took me back to Maryland and parked by the roadside for me to go and withdraw money at Wema bank ATM( they had asked for the money to be withdrawn at the ATM).
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
After several pleas, the "good cop" said they would do N45,000 last. By this time we had reached Maryland and turned back (opposite direction of my office which I had told them).
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
Throughout the "negotiation" process, they took turns shouting at me whilst also playing good cop bad cop in their mind. When they discovered I needed to get to work ASAP, they kept saying the best they could do was to collect N50,000.
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
One of them asked for my license, he took a picture of it on his phone and he started "negotiating" on how much they would collect whilst they were driving me around feigning that they were taking me to the station.
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
These policemen said they were going to charge me N120,000 for "my offense". I had to resort to begging them eventually when I noticed that arguing with them wasnt going to lead me anywhere and I didnt want to get late to work.
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
I was using google map to get the best route to work and one of them kept saying its an offense to use google map whilst driving.
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
The two guys in uniform got my keys and sat in front whilst the other two asked me to go to the back for us to go to the station.
I was sandwiched in between the two not in uniform. Inside the car, they saw my phone,— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
My reporting time was 9am today and I didnt want to get there late, so I rolled down and kept talking to him only for his other colleagues ( 2 in uniform and 1 not in uniform) to also join in the whole mess.
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
claiming that I was using the phone whilst driving. Of course I argued with him showing him the stuffs I had reached for but he kept shouting.
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
I was harrassed by some policemen on my way to work this morning at Ojota around 08:10. I was in traffic. I had reached for my id card and calculator(needed at work) from the arm rest of my car only for this unarmed policeman to jump in front of my car
— mista man (@viva_jc) August 20, 2019
Lamenting the extortion, the motorist added, “These policemen collected my hard-earned N45,000 for no reason and I still got late to work! This is injustice.”
When journalists contacted the spokesman for the state police, Elkana gave assurance that the investigation would begin quickly.
“The matter was reported to us and we are investigating it; the victim got in touch with me to report and I told him to come to my office so that we could investigate the matter,” he stated.