The Take It Back Movement has levelled serious allegations against the Nigeria Police Force, accusing its officers of running a “kidnap-for-ransom” operation targeting young men in the Igando and Ikotun areas of Lagos.
In a statement signed by its Lagos State Coordinator, Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek, the civil society group condemned what it described as a “growing trend of criminal abduction and ransom-taking in police uniform.” The group detailed two recent incidents where citizens were allegedly abducted and extorted of millions of naira.
According to the statement, on Saturday, August 16, 2025, police officers stormed a hotel in Igando and arrested several young men. One of the victims claimed he was falsely accused of being a kidnapper, threatened with transfer to Abuja, and then driven to Ibadan. There, the officers allegedly extorted ₦1 million from him before leaving him stranded by the roadside.
The group asserted this was not an isolated case. “Only a few days ago, men of the police attached to Alagbon abducted another young man in Ikotun, extorted ₦5.1 million,” the statement read. Following a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the officers reportedly offered to refund the money to the victim. The movement also noted that “men of the CP tactical teams also storm our community, arrest young guys and extort their hard-earned money.”
The Take It Back Movement is holding the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of the Igando/Ikotun divisions directly accountable for the alleged crimes. The group argues that police officers cannot operate within a jurisdiction without the DPO’s knowledge.
“If these extortions are happening repeatedly, the DPO must either be complicit or grossly negligent,” the statement declared.
The organisation is demanding an immediate and thorough investigation into the incidents, the prosecution of the officers involved, and a definitive end to the alleged abductions. They have charged the DPOs of the affected areas to secure their communities from “extortionists in uniform.”
The statement concluded with a powerful warning: “Silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressor. Nigerians will not continue to be victims of police criminality in their own land.”
As of press time, the Lagos State Police Command has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations.
