YRC CONDEMNS HARRASSMENT, ASSAULT AND EXTORTION BY LAGOS POLICEMEN

YRC CONDEMNS THE HARRASSMENT, ASSAULT AND EXTORTION OF A COMMERCIAL MOTORBIKE RIDER BY POLICEMEN FROM OKO-OBA POLICE STATION, ABULE-EGBA/AGEGE LAGOS

WE DEMAND REFUND OF N20,000 BRIBE AND NECCESARY DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AGAINST THE ERRANT POLICE OFFICERS

POLICE OFFICERS FROM OKO-OBA POLICE STATION MUST STOP THEIR EXTORTION OF POOR NIGERIANS

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) strongly condemns the inhumane harassment and assault of a commercial motorbike rider and his two passengers by some police officers who have been identified to be from the Oko-Oba Police station in Abule-Egba/ Agege, Lagos State. In videos made available to the YRC, the officers were seen harassing and assaulting the bike rider and his passengers to the point of spraying him with teargas. The excuse of the policemen was that the bike rider stopped in front of a bank to attend to his passengers, therefore they had to seize his bike. This points to the level of recklessness that citizens, especially poor people have been experiencing from the police, especially Policemen from the Oko-Oba police station who have become notorious for harassing, assaulting and extorting people for very ridiculous reasons. In fact, in Abule-Egba, this has become a daily occurrence.

Despite the economic hardship the Tinubu administration is inflicting on all Nigerians through its anti-poor policies that have resulted to hunger, unemployment and mass misery, it is disheartening to see youths who are only trying to survive become prey of the Nigerian Police. We strongly condemn the vicious actions of Nigerian police on the poor citizen.
It is ironical that the ones who are supposed to protect turn around to trample upon and violate the rights of the citizenry.

From reports, three police men from Oko-Oba police station, successfully used force to take the bike away and demanded N50,000 before the bike could be released. However, eventually, they released the bike after N20,000 had been collected. This is nothing but armed robbery. Sadly, many commercial bike riders and youths have been victims of the harassment and extortion of these police officers who have become perpetrators of such criminality.

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) calls for appropriate disciplinary actions against the 3 police officers identified in the video for assaulting and extorting citizens. We also demand immediate refund of the N20, 000 bribe money. This will serve as deterrent for other erring officers and show to citizens that the Police force are not approving of the dastardly acts of these 3 police officers.

We also call on Nigerians to be vigilant and expose notorious police officers and other security operatives who have taken such criminality as a daily trade. There is need for a consistent campaign by youth and the working masses to put an end to police brutality and confront the system of capitalism which permits police brutality and state repression.

Francis Nwapa,
National Secretary
Youth Rights Campaign
Email: [email protected]