Monday, January 5, 2026 - A Lagos-based plumber, Nifemi Oyerinde, has accused some police officers of extorting N70,000 from him at gunpoint during a stop-and-search operation near the Otedola Bridge area of Lagos State.
Oyerinde, who narrated his ordeal to Punch Metro on Sunday,
said the incident occurred on Saturday while he was turning towards CMD Road
from the Otedola Bridge axis.
According to him, the armed officers flagged him down and
ordered him to bring his bag, which they placed on their vehicle and searched
thoroughly.
He said, “I was on an Uber ride when they stopped the
vehicle while the driver was turning onto CMD Road by Otedola Bridge. They told
me to come down and took me to where their vehicle was parked. They opened my
bag and checked everything. There was nothing inside apart from my clothes,
charger and perfume.
He said that after the search, one of the officers asked him
what he did for a living, to which he replied that he was a plumber.
“They collected my phone and asked me to call someone to
verify that I’m a plumber. I called someone, and he spoke to the person, who
confirmed that I’m not into fraud and that he’s my boss,” he added.
Oyerinde alleged that despite the confirmation, the officers
insisted he was a fraudster and threatened to take him to the police station.
He further claimed that the officers searched through his
phone but found nothing incriminating, yet continued to accuse him of internet
fraud.
“They said I should bring N1m or they would take me to the
station. I told them I don’t have such money. They later reduced the amount to
N300,000 and eventually demanded N70,000 after prolonged negotiations.”
He alleged that he eventually transferred the N70,000 to one
of the officers before his phone was returned to him.
“After I transferred the N70,000 from my second phone,
because of the gun they were holding, they gave me back my phone and even
followed me to the car before letting me go,” Oyerinde added.
Reacting to the incident, the Lagos State Coordinator of the
Take It Back Movement, Taofeek Adekunle, in a statement sent to PUNCH Metro on
Sunday, condemned the alleged action of the officers, describing it as another
case of systemic abuse by law enforcement agents.
In the statement, Taofeek demanded the immediate
identification of the officers involved, a refund of the extorted N70,000, and
the arrest and prosecution of all those responsible.
“The incident further confirms the systemic extortion and
terror being unleashed on innocent Nigerians under the guise of policing,” he
added.
When contacted on Sunday, the state command spokesperson,
Abimbola Adebisi, said she was aware of the incident.
“The Complaint Response Unit is handling the matter,” she
added.
The incident adds to growing concerns over police misconduct
in Lagos, with residents repeatedly accusing officers of extortion at some
checkpoints.
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