Despite not seeing anything incriminating evidence on them, they were forced to pay N35,000 each before being released.
Some policemen from Alapere police station in Lagos on Tuesday night illegally arrested over 10 Nigerians after a raid on some boutiques and restaurants, SaharaReporters has gathered.
Despite not seeing anything incriminating evidence on them, they were forced to pay N35,000 each before being released.
They were all arrested at Oriola Street in Alapere around 8 pm.
According to multiple sources, some of them were picked up in front of their houses.
Others were arrested in a boutique and restaurant in the area.
SaharaReporters gathered that the young men were handcuffed and treated by the policemen like criminals.
“Police on illegal raid stormed Oriola street in Alapere and started picking up people randomly, some were picked up in front of their houses, some inside the boutique shop and forced to enter their bus,” a witness told SaharaReporters.
“This happened on Tuesday night around 8 pm. Some were also arrested at a restaurant where they were breaking their fast, some brought the food they already bought to the station and they collected N35,000 from them each as bail the next day because all of them slept in the cell till yesterday (Wednesday). They collected the N35,000 in cash refusing to take transfers from their families.
“So sad, this is how officers from Alapere police station have been misbehaving just to make illegal money.”
Another resident of the community told SaharaReporters: “Unfortunately, some were arrested at a restaurant where they were breaking their fast. We think it’s time to inform the Lagos State Police Command authorities of what their men at Alapere police station have been doing illegally to extort the people of Alapere.
“Innocent people going on the street are been arrested. Sitting in front of your house is now a crime, according to these rogue officers. Going to the store to get foodstuff is now a crime because as you are coming out of the store, you will be arrested by the policemen.
“They have made it difficult for people to go out in peace. We Implore the Inspector General of Police and Lagos State Police Commissioner to come to our rescue.
“On Tuesday again, many people were arrested despite doing nothing and forced to pay N35,000 in cash for bail. Here are the bad eggs in the Nigeria Police Force. We the people of Alapere are unhappy with the altitude of these officers. Alapere has been a calm and peaceful community, so we don't see the reason why officers from Alapere division are making us unhappy just because they want to make money.”
Recently, SaharaReporters reported how policemen attached to Okokomaiko division of the Lagos Command, forcefully extorted a mobile phone dealer at the Alaba International Market of the sum of N100,000.
The phone dealer identified as Onyinyechi Esther Anwusi, was asked to transfer the N100,000 from his Access Bank account to the corrupt police officers after they labelled him a fraudster.
SaharaReporters obtained a copy of the transaction receipt of the sum of N101,000 generated from the Access Bank mobile application on the victim’s phone.
The receipt showed that the money was received by Ndueso Okon Archibong with account number 9550455342, PalmPay Limited.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesman for the state police command did not answer calls nor reply to a text message sent to his mobile line.