Allegations have surfaced regarding the extortion of N250,000 from individuals identified as traditionalists by personnel of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Tactical Unit, Ijegun.
According to reports, the victims were found in possession of an ‘Ifa’ calabash, which the police deemed suspicious, leading to their detention. Despite being subsequently released, the officers have purportedly refused to return the extorted sum, sparking outcry from the Take-It-Back Movement (TIB) and broader civil society.
In a recorded telephone conversation, an officer identified as Supol Mike defended the actions, suggesting that charging the individuals to court would negate any refund of the extorted funds. The victims were allegedly detained for approximately five hours without clear evidence of wrongdoing beyond possessing the ‘Ifa’ calabash.
TIB’s coordinator lamented the unjust detention and subsequent extortion, stressing the lack of substantive evidence to justify the actions taken by the police.
Despite the contents of the ‘Ifa’ calabash being identified as harmless, the victims were allegedly coerced into withdrawing a significant sum of money from a Point of Sale (POS) agent. Efforts to reach the Command’s spokesman for comment were unsuccessful, as he directed inquiries to designated complaint channels.
IMAGE: Vanguard
