Sodiq Oladebo, a prospective student, alleged that while traveling from Osun State to Benin, Edo State, on Saturday, he was a victim of extortion by police officers from the Osun State Police Command.
The incident occurred on the Ilesa Expressway when the police officers stationed at a checkpoint halted the Sienna vehicle carrying Oladebo and other passengers. Subsequently, the officers proceeded to search their bags.
Oladebo claimed that the officers took N20,000 from him, which was intended to be used for purchasing an Interim Joint Matriculation Board form to facilitate his university admission process.
He said, “We left Old Garage Park in Osun State and were going to Benin, Edo State. Our vehicle was stopped by the policemen. They checked the passenger at the front and later asked me to come down from the car to identify my luggage.
“They searched and didn’t find anything incriminating. He took my phone from me, unlocked it but didn’t find anything incriminating on it.
“He returned my phone and said he would take me to the station except I pay N100,000. They had seen N99,000 in my Palm Pay application, and my brother gave me the money to purchase the IJMB form.”
He stated that following several disputes with the police officers, they insisted on receiving a sum of N20,000.
He added, “I transferred the money to a Point-of-Sale operator whom the officers called to the location, and they allowed me to go. The policemen were four and in a black Hilux van. My money is still with them.”
Related News
In a Twitter conversation with our correspondent on Sunday, Suleman, Oladebo’s brother, urged for the reimbursement of the funds. He mentioned that the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had promised to reach out, but nobody had contacted him yet.
A screenshot of the transaction receipt obtained by our correspondent displayed a transfer of N20,000 to Delight Enterprise at 11:34 am on Saturday.
Despite multiple attempts, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, did not answer incoming calls to her phone. Additionally, she had not responded to a text message sent to her phone number by the time this report was submitted.
When contacted for a response, Adejobi referred our correspondent back to the Osun Police Command.
2 Comments
Police officers are slowly becoming thieves
Very very possible in this country..as far u are looking good they are after you