Police officers extorts money from citizen, seizes his computer

 

On Friday, 22nd January, 2016, at 10am at No. 24 Bestford Avenue, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos State, Nigeria, at a cyber cafe, Mr. Kingsley Uzoaru, a member of Due Process Advocates [DPA], was one of three customers (two ladies along with himself) who were at the cyber cafe. 

Lawyer to the complainant, Emeka Ugwuoye

On Friday, 22nd January, 2016, at 10am at No. 24 Bestford Avenue, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos State, Nigeria, at a cyber cafe, Mr. Kingsley Uzoaru, a member of Due Process Advocates [DPA], was one of three customers (two ladies along with himself) who were at the cyber cafe. 

Kingsley, who lives one block away from the cafe, had come into the cafe with intention to charge his laptop, as he had no power in his house.

Even before Kingsley could sit down at the cafe, three plain-clothed police officers from the Okota Police Station came into the cafe and asked Kingsley to follow them to a yellow Danfo bus with black stripes. Kinsgley obeyed. 

Without explaining anything to him, the officers asked Kingsley to enter into the bus, which he did. 

Apparently the bus was driven by some unknown civilian, who might have been compelled to drive them.

The officers are:

(1) Mr. Mike ----- 08033331357 (the team leader)

(2) Mr. Austin --- 08133236614

(3) Mr. Chilaka --- 08026925040

They took Kingsley to Okota Police Station - SCIB, Lagos Command. They powered the computer at their station. 

To do this, they had to switch on their generator as the computer's batter power was fully drained. 

They searched his laptop and found nothing incriminating. Yet they detained him and his laptop. 

They demanded for N500,000 from him in order for them to release him. He did not have that kind of money. So they detained him over night. 

On Saturday, 23rd January, Kingsley’s wife, a mother of two children, 3 and 1 year old, had to borrow money from relatives in order to free her husband. 

She was only able to raise N100,000 on Saturday. That amount was then given to the police (Mr. Chilaka collected the money). The policemen then released Kingsley but continued to hold his laptop.

Today, they asked Kingsley to report to their station. However, Kingsley had contacted me by midnight last night. I directed him to my office this morning. 

Before coming, he had to report to the police station again. While with them, Kingsley called me on his phone and I spoke to one of the offers (Mr. Austin) on that phone.

Finally, Kingsley was allowed to come to my office. 

Upon meeting him and reviewing his story and comparing with my conversation with Mr. Austin, I am convinced that the policemen have acted unlawfully and illegally. 

I therefore placed a call from my office to the police. 

I made it clear to them that they should either charge Kingsley to court or release his computer and return the N100,000 they took from him. I gave them 24 hours to do so.

Ladies and gentlemen, yes, we do hear and we do encounter the criminal conducts of some elements of the Nigerian police. However, this is one such case that I must fight and I invite all the DPA members, who are able, to join in this fight. 

Unless Nigerians can protect themselves from these corrupt and criminal elements in the police force, nothing will change.

I am also forwarding a letter to the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police for Lagos and the Attorney-General of Nigeria against these officers and their immediate commanders.

They should be fired from the police force.

I provided the phone numbers of these officers because I want us to commence an immediate telephonic protest from our members. The message to send is simple:

"Charge Kingsley Uzoaru to court or release his computer and return his money".

Make no mistake about it: We are not interfering with the police work. 

That is why we ask them to charge him to court or release his money and property. They must do one of the two.

Emeka