Save Lagos Group Drags Errant Policemen Before IG
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Loading ...Save Lagos Group drags errant policemen before IG, alleges graft, extortion and violation of fundamental rights of Lagosians
A civil society organization, the Save Lagos Group (SLG) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris over the conduct of service personnel attached to the Lagos State Command.
In a statement issued by the group on Monday signed by the Convener, Comrade Adeniyi A. Sulaiman, the Save Lagos Group stated that some officers of the force operating in Berger Area of the state have been extorting money from commercial and private motor drivers who are forced to part with some money before their vehicles are released to them.
This is coming just as the group accused a detachment of the force called PMF (Police Mobile Force) Squadron 63 located in front of Igbogbo-Bayeku Local Development Council Secretariat of extorting money from road users such as commercial vehicle owners, as well as Okada riders who plying the Ikorodu-Igbogbo Road.
The group stated that the press statement is sequel to a petition dated Monday, 5th of February, 2018 directed to the Inspector-General of Police with a copy sent to the Commissioner of Police in charge of the state.
Copies were also forwarded to the Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad as well as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSS).
In the petition, the group lamented the decadence in the operational mode of the force.
In it, Sulaiman said, “Sometimes ago, we complained about the activities of personnel of the force stationed in front of Oriwu Model College, Sheriff Bus Stop of the same Ikorodu-Igbogbo Road with no action from the police high command. Unfortunately, the policemen are still doing what they know how to do best…to extort money by harassing the people with guns.”
Commenting on the petition, Sulaiman stated that on Thursday, February 1st this year personnel of the force in Berger area illegally arrested one Albert Abani Uduma for refusing to part with the sum of N30,000.
“When they asked Uduma to pay the stated amount, he refused saying he could only give them N3,000 to secure the release of the vehicle, a development that prompted the men believed to be attached to the Rapid Response Squad to arrest him.” Sulaiman said.
The civil rights activist listed the particulars of the personnel affected to include one Inspector Ifeniyi Obasan, Sergeant David Olatunde and others operating in official vehicle marked RRS 160 LA-112.
According to Sulaiman in the statement, the affected policemen and their team members would ask an unsuspecting driver to pull over as part of their operation ‘STOP AND SEARCH’ only to arrest them for obstructing traffic on the busy road.
“After effecting their ‘arrest’, they would now ask the driver to part with the sum of N30,000 saying the money that is collected from the supposed errant driver is a fine to be paid into the Lagos State coffers,” Sulaiman stated.
The group lamented the fact that the activities of men of the Nigerian Police Force along Igbogbo-Ikorodu Road have resulted in harrowing experience for commuters who have had to endure that fact that commercial motor vehicle operators don’t usually pass the road anymore for fear of being extorted by the police who usually employ brutal tactics to fleece the road users.
“The situation has even become more embarrassing as these officers usually help the affected motorists to look for change when they (the vehicle owners) say they don’t have change. Some of the time, they harass passengers for daring to challenge them by giving them corporal punishment.” He said.
Sulaiman concluded by calling on the IG to instruct the police commissioner to be alive to his responsibilities via effective monitoring of personnel under his watch, saying “We are watching developments and we are giving them till October 1stfailure in which we will not hesitate to call for the outright dismissal of both the police commissioner and the IG from the force for dereliction of duty.”
