A team of police officers from the Lagos State Police Command has been detained after allegedly extorting N100,000 from a Chinese expatriate along the Sheraton-Opebi link road in the state.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when three officers were reportedly conducting a stop-and-search operation in the area. They flagged down the expatriate, who was on his way to an important meeting, and demanded to see his documents, including his green card.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the expatriate showed the requested documents to the officers via his phone’s gallery. However, the officers insisted on seeing the original copies. This demand led to a tense exchange between the officers and the foreign national.
Lameed Adekunle, a rights activist who was aware of the incident, revealed that after a series of discussions and pleas from the expatriate, the officers forced him to pay N100,000 into a Point of Sale (POS) account.
“Around that time, the expatriate was in a hurry to attend an important meeting,” Adekunle explained. “The officers insisted that he provide the original documents, but when he was unable to, they demanded the N100,000. Faced with the risk of being late to his meeting, he had no choice but to comply and make the payment into the account they provided.”
The matter was eventually brought to light when the expatriate shared his unpleasant experience with his Nigerian colleagues. Adewale Ojo, a representative from the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, who said that the expatriate, who works with a popular construction company, was deeply disappointed by the way he had been treated. The expatriate told his colleagues about the incident, and they escalated the matter to Ojo’s organisation, which took action.
“The expatriate had only just moved to Nigeria, and this incident left him feeling disillusioned and betrayed,” Ojo said. “He shared his experience with his co-workers, who then alerted us. We took it up with the police authorities, and the officers were soon identified. This led to their arrest and detention.”
Following the escalation of the case, the police officers were summoned to the provost’s office in Ikeja, where they were held for further investigation. Ojo confirmed that the officers had been detained and were expected to refund the N100,000 to the expatriate.
“The refund is expected to take place on Monday,” Ojo said. “We are making sure that justice is served, and the officers are held accountable for their actions. This is part of our ongoing effort to rid the police force of bad elements.”
The incident adds to a growing list of extortion cases involving police officers in Lagos State. In October 2024, officers from Area C Police Command in Surulere were accused of extorting N1 million from three National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. The officers had allegedly stopped the corps members’ vehicle along the Surulere Expressway before searching it and demanding money. When the young individuals refused to comply, the officers reportedly took them to the Area C Police Station, where the extortion continued.
The recent case has raised serious concerns about police corruption and the behaviour of officers tasked with maintaining law and order. Experts and civil society groups have called for immediate reforms within the police force to address the growing trend of extortion and abuse of power.
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians calling for swift action against the officers involved and demanding that police reform be prioritised to ensure that such cases are prevented in the future.
Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, has long been a hotspot for allegations of police extortion. The state, home to millions of people, sees numerous interactions between police officers and the public on a daily basis, often in the form of stop-and-search operations. While most of these interactions are meant to ensure public safety, some officers have been accused of using their positions for personal gain by extorting money from unsuspecting citizens.
The Lagos State Police Command, like other police divisions across Nigeria, is frequently under scrutiny for these practices. Several reports over the years have detailed cases of officers demanding bribes from motorists, commercial drivers, and pedestrians in exchange for allowing them to continue their journey without interference.
Human rights organisations and activists have long called for police reforms, including better training, stricter enforcement of professional conduct, and increased accountability for officers who engage in corrupt activities. However, many Nigerians believe that the rate of corruption within the police force remains high, contributing to a breakdown in trust between law enforcement and the public.
