20th September 2025
Some commercial motorcycle riders have accused some policemen attached to the Amukoko Divisional Headquarters in Lagos State of extortion and unlawful impound of their motorcycles.
In three separate petitions through the iRelief Committee for Human Rights and Civic Engagements, addressed to the state Commissioner of Police, the motorcyclists accused the personnel of collecting between N20,000 and N100,000 before releasing their seized motorcycles.
One of the petitioners, Mr Odutayo Waris, who is also painter, explained that at about 11:30 pm on August 29, 2025, while on his way to a vigil at Safejo, in the Amukoko area of the state, a policeman arrested him at a bus stop and detained him overnight without explanation.
He said a total sum of N40,000 was paid to another policeman identified as Okunade Oludayo, before he was released the following day.
When contacted for comment, the accused policeman, Oludayo, denied the allegations, saying he was unaware and could not confirm whether or not Waris Odutayo was arrested.
He said, “I’m not familiar with that name. What I want to say to that is that I wasn’t the one who arrested him, and I don’t know the person who did. I’m just telling you that nothing like that happened.
“If at all, he was arrested, I was not the one who led the operation from the station. But the only thing I can confirm to you is that we do raiding, and it is only the task force that conducted it. The question about whether he was arrested or not I can’t say.
That place, Safejo, where he said he was arrested, is a hotspot for crime. Some people were robbed a few days ago, and their phones and other things were collected from them.”
Meanwhile, commercial motorcyclists, Shazali Ibrahim, and Umar Husaini, alleged that their motorcycles were seized on the 27th and 28th of August, 2025, respectively.
Ibrahim claimed that his motorcycle was seized by a man called Shidi, who worked with a policeman, Ishaku Babaji, to get hold of the motorcycle.
He narrated that the motorcycle was seized at Mosafejo Bus Stop, Amukoko, around 9:40 pm, while riding home after the day’s work, claiming that he was forced to pay N50,000 at the station to retrieve his bike.
According to him, the policeman received N20,000 from Waris’ mother in cash, while another N20,000 was sent to him via a recommended Point of Sale agent.
0 Comments