Lagos Policemen Force Two Detained Nigerian Youths To Pay N80,000 After Assault

The two yet-to-be-identified youths who were arrested on Sunday for refusing to be extorted, have been finally released by the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from Area H Division in Lagos.

They were however forced to pay N80,000 on Tuesday as bail before they were released.

This comes despite the criticism that trailed the illegal arrest and detention of the duo.

SaharaReporters gathered that the policemen collected N40,000 each as bail money for the youths while their relations and friends were extorted at every given opportunity.

SaharaReporters had reported that some operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from Area H Division in Lagos transferred the two youths, who were illegally detained after they refused to be extorted by the officers, to a mobile court in the Oshodi area of the state on Monday.

In its earlier report, SaharaReporters gathered that the two young men and one other were illegally arrested by the officers on Sunday on Akintan Street, Mascara, in the Ketu area of the state when they reportedly went out to buy biscuits.

While the third person begged the officers and negotiated to pay N20,300, which they collected and thereafter, released him, the other two men refused to pay the officers, hence, they were assaulted and treated like criminals, SaharaReporters had reported.

On Monday, it reported that “because they do not have money for bail” the young men were transferred to a mobile court at Oshodi.

“They have transferred them to mobile court now at Oshodi because they don't have money to bail themselves,” a source told SaharaReporters on Monday.

An eyewitness on Sunday told SaharaReporters that three youths were arrested, “but they collected money from one of them”.

“The two other guys that were unable to pay were taken to the station. They even beat them up, they assaulted them because they couldn’t pay like the other guy. They initially demanded N50,000 from each of them,” the eyewitness had said.

“The policemen are now trying to frame the two others who couldn’t pay up. They threatened to transfer them to Ikeja, Lagos,” the source had added.

However, SaharaReporters gathered on Tuesday that after N80,000 was paid to the police, they released the detained youths on bail.

A source who spoke to SaharaReporters said, "Each of them was bailed today with the sum of N40,000. For both, we paid N80,000. It didn't include bribery before entry, or bribery before seeing them. Before the bail, payment to officers at the counter; that one is not part of the bail.

"Regrettably, this is for an alleged offence they never committed.

“The police did not arraign them again after SaharaReporters’ report. They took them to Ogudu police station where they were forced to pay N40,000 each before they were released.

“Efforts were made to draw the attention of the police hierarchy to the development but nobody intervened.”

When SaharaReporters called Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the state police command on the phone on Tuesday, he did not answer the calls.