A Lagos resident has taken to his social media handle to share a harrowing account of alleged police misconduct, claiming members of the Lagos State Task Force attempted to frame him for a traffic violation by physically driving his car into oncoming traffic.
This allegation followed on the heels of a viral video, shared online, seemingly showing how the Lagos Task Force placed a victim’s car on a one-way route to cook up evidence against him and extort him.
The Lagos State Police Command said it was already looking into the matter.
However, moments after the Lagos State Police Command declared it was probing the matter, another victim shared his experience with the Lagos Task Force.
The victim, identified by his social media handle United Force 4 Justice, shared his ordeal involving an incident in the Abijo area of Lekki.
According to his account, the encounter began while he was at a local mechanic workshop.
The driver alleges that officers entered the workshop and demanded his keys without explanation. Before he could process the request, an officer reportedly jumped into the driver’s seat.
“One of them just entered my vehicle, began driving out of the mechanic workshop, and positioned my car to face one way,” the victim stated. “Immediately, I brought out my phone and started making a video of them, showing that it was a policeman who was driving it on one way.”
While one officer was allegedly “creating” the offence, the victim claims others were filming from a distance to manufacture evidence against him.
Despite threats from the officers, the driver refused to settle the matter “on the street,” a common euphemism for paying a bribe.
“I started shouting at them, that they’re an evil set of people looking for whom to extort,” he recounted. “I took a picture of their vehicle, left my vehicle with them, and headed straight to Alausa, Ikeja, to complain.”
The bold move paid off. Upon reaching the police headquarters in Alausa, the driver met with the Officer in Charge (OC), who reviewed the situation and ordered the immediate release of the vehicle.
By 6:00 PM that evening, the car was back in the owner’s possession without a bribe being paid.
While this specific incident ended in the vehicle’s release, the victim warned that many Nigerians fall prey to the system because of the high stakes involved in fighting back.
He highlighted a “punitive” legal process where frivolous charges are used as a weapon when extortion fails.
“Usually, when police officers cannot extort you, they will prepare a frivolous charge to punish you. Once there is a charge in court, no superior officer wants to get involved,” he explained.
The victim argued that internal police disciplinary measures are insufficient and that officers must face criminal prosecution for such actions.
He maintains that the core of the issue lies in the manufacturing of evidence to force extortion, the risk of vehicles being impounded for years during court proceedings, and the demand for lawmakers to change the law to punish rogue officers severely.
The driver tagged high-ranking officials and legislative bodies, including the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives, urging them to address the “serious extortion problem” currently plaguing the country’s roads.
The viral video, shared by the first victim, gained momentum following a report by Objectv Media, which detailed a specific criminal guise used by an officer identified as CSP Akerele and his associates.
CSP Akerele is the Officer in Charge of the Lagos State Task Force.
According to the report, officers forcefully take control of a citizen’s vehicle, drive it into a “one-way” or restricted zone, and then document the position as “fake evidence” of a traffic infraction to demand heavy bribes.
“They drove my car into a trap,” one victim recounted, echoing a sentiment shared by many who feel the very institutions meant to protect them have become predatory.
People are reacting to Lagos State Police Command of Probing the matter and holding the officers accountable with a deep-seated cynicism.
The following reactions from social media reflect the prevailing mood of the city: IBRAHIM (@Abugeorge87): “Stories… story story… the same people Don’t believe anything, nothing is gonna happen… na dem dem.”
AFRICANOID (@africanoidspace): “But the man languished in prison all weekend? Shame on you.”
alashock (@alashock): “Criminal enterprise within the police.”
Adetunji A (@AdettunjiTj): “But I still dey wonder why person way commit traffic offence should end up in prison even wen his car is in your possession? Our laws need some amendment.”
KEYS (@Forestkey): “If you don’t relieve these men of their jobs, they will continue these evil acts over and over again.”
Efoghe Gilbert (@Stcollinspower): “Thank goodness this matter is getting this publicity; this evil and inhumane treatment must be exposed.”
David Ijeh (@IjehDavid21399): “Nigerian police are now recognised as enemies. Evil gang. Anti-progress set. They don’t go after criminals; they only attack fresh-looking youths and tag them with one bad thing. I’m a victim. God punish the evil once in the police and blesses the good once.”
KratosNG (@kratosngr): “Always framing up the citizens they swore to protect.”
Kingston Adeyemi (@KingstonAdeyem1): “Thank God there is a video. Some of your task force men are power drunk, irrespective of their ranks. I was saved by some soldiers when the idiots were about to pass me for committing an offence. They would have contravened me thereafter. The CSP that heads the Task Force is not better.”
Raymond Oyewusi (@debetmx): “Pay @PoliceNG @LagosPoliceNG N20 monthly dem go still achieve, una don give them gun and dirty black uniform.”
Michael (@youngcaesarmike): “It is very unprofessional for your men to drive people’s vehicles, extremely unprofessional…. I can charge the driver in court and claim my valuables were missing; all the court needs to confirm is whether he drove my car. Your officers are rogue, and you are aiding and abetting them.”
