Policemen Force Men To Withdraw Money From ATM To 'Buy' Freedom

Reports have it that some police officers allegedly forced some people to withdraw some money at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to ‘buy’ their freedom.

According to The Punch, the incident took place in FESTAC area of Lagos state when some of the police officers embarked on an illegal raid around Rapongi night club, arrested and tortured 30 persons including a journalist, Femi Owolabi.

All the suspects were reportedly driven to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba and all their valuables, including money, were collected from them.

The reports revealed further that the officers attached Anti-Robbery section collected between N5,000 and N10,000 from each of the victims before releasing them, while some of the victims were said to have been driven to a Zenith Bank branch in FESTAC around 4am and were forced to withdraw money from the ATM to ‘buy’ their freedom.

Police sources claim that the officers will be made to go through an orderly room trial by a panel of senior officers at the Lagos state police command headquarters, Ikeja to determine their level of complicity and the punishment to be meted out to them.

The policemen, the impeccable source added, would be dragged to court to face robbery charges.

“So far, only the journalist (Owolabi) has been able to write a statement. He met with the CP on Wednesday and was able to identify the nine policemen paraded at the CP’s office. The CP has said the policemen will undergo an orderly room trial.

“At the trial, senior officers will determine the appropriate punishment for each policeman. Depending on the level of complicity, some of them might be demoted while others would be dismissed.

“However, the CP has said those found worthy of dismissal should be charged with armed robbery. The CP said since the victims were made to part with money at gunpoint, the policemen committed armed robbery and should be charged to court,”the source said.

It was later gathered that the said police officers carry out routine illegal raids on Fridays when most senior officers were away.

“These policemen usually go on illegal raids on Fridays and arrest people around night clubs or pubs. They know that fun-seekers usually go to clubs with cash and that is what these policemen try to take advantage of.

“Unfortunately, only the journalist (Owolabi) has come forward to write a statement. We will be happy if the others who were arrested on that fateful night would be brave enough to come forward to assist with investigations and claim their valuables,” the source added.

Only yesterday, a picture of police officers collecting bribe during a highway patrol surfaced on Facebook, with many Nigerians calling for the prosecution of the concerned police officers.