Police probe officers accused of extorting Lagos rider
The Lagos State Police Command has launched an investigation into allegations that officers attached to the Makinde Divisional Headquarters extorted ₦20,000 from a dispatch rider.
The investigation followed the circulation of a video on social media showing the officers stopping the rider during an encounter that the rider secretly recorded.
Abimbola Joseph
The Lagos State Police Command has launched an investigation into allegations that officers attached to the Makinde Divisional Headquarters extorted ₦20,000 from a dispatch rider.
The investigation followed the circulation of a video on social media showing the officers stopping the rider during an encounter that the rider secretly recorded.
The command confirmed on Monday that the officers involved had been identified and ordered to report to its headquarters for questioning.
In a statement, the command said the officers were being interviewed as part of an investigation ordered by the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai.
“The Lagos State Police Command is aware of the video and has commenced an investigation into the incident,” the statement said.
The command added that the officers attached to the Makinde Divisional Headquarters “have reported at the Command Headquarters and are currently being interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation”.
The rider, whose identity was not disclosed, reportedly alleged that the officers demanded and collected ₦20,000 from him.
However, the police did not independently confirm the alleged payment or disclose details of the transaction.
The command assured the public that its investigation would determine whether any officer was culpable and what action should follow.
“The Command assures the public that the investigation is ongoing and appropriate action will be taken based on its findings,” it said.
As of Monday, the command had not disclosed whether any of the officers had been arrested, suspended or otherwise disciplined.
The investigation comes amid renewed scrutiny of allegations of police extortion in Lagos. Weeks earlier, a Lagos resident, Nasir Ahmed, accused three police officers of extorting him after allegedly stopping his vehicle on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and accusing him of driving against traffic.
Ahmed said he had to seek financial assistance from friends during the incident.
