The Lagos Police Command has announced the arrest of one of its officers who was caught on camera extorting N40,000 from a motorist.
Bala Elkana, the Police Spokesperson in Lagos State, made this known in a short message sent to POLITICS NIGERIA on Saturday.
Elkana said the state command is investigating the extortion which was captured in a video posted on Twitter on Sunday.
He said the officer, Taloju Martins, will be subjected to an internal disciplinary proceeding known as Orderly Room Trial.
“He (the officer) will be subjected to an internal disciplinary proceeding known as Orderly Room Trial,” the police spokesperson said.
The state police command also confirmed the officer’s arrest in a tweet on its Twitter handle.
It read: “The Police Officer from Ago Division in the trending video has been identified and arrested. He will be subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings known as Orderly room trial. #SayNOtoImpunity #BeSafe.”
https://twitter.com/PoliceNGLagos/status/1249076676715261952
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the officer alongside his colleagues arrested a man and impounded his car on Friday along Ago Palace Road, Okota.
It was gathered that Matins and his officers arrested the victim for violating the state government lockdown order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In the viral video, Martins, who is the station officer at the Ago Police station, Okota, was seen collecting a bunch of naira notes in N1,000 and counting them to confirm how much the money was.
According to the Twitter post, the victim said he was on his way to buy some foodstuff and petrol when he was caught on the road by some police officers.
He was allegedly forced to pay N40,000 before he could get back his car.
“One of the policemen drove my car to Ago Police station, Okota,” the victim was quoted in the Twitter post as saying.
“I live at Ago too. When we got there I met so many others, we were told to meet the s/o he delayed us from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and when people became tired and frustrated, people started going in to meet him one by one, and the least he collect from each of them was 50k.
“I went to the bank and withdrew 40k and gave him, then he released my key for me. Unknown to him I recorded him,” the victim was quoted in the Twitter post as saying.
