Police officers threatened to release robbery suspect if victims didn't pay N20,000

December 5, 2019 5:01 PM

The suspect had robbed a church during a vigil, and was caught while two other robbers escaped.

The policemen whose identities were not disclosed had demanded for a payment of N20,000 to attend to the robbery case. (Image of policemen used for illustrative purpose) [Punch]

If a report by Segun Awosanya is anything to go by, some police officers requested a payment of N20,000 from robbery victims and threatened to release a suspect that was caught.

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Awosanya, popular for his police reform activism, narrated the story on his Twitter account, saying a church was robbed during a vigil by three suspects.

According to him, two of the robbers escaped with valuables while one of them was caught.

The parishioners then handed the suspect over to a police station in Ogba, Lagos, only to be asked to pay N20,000.

"Upon getting to the station, the police officers demanded that they will need a down payment of N20,000 to attend to the case, and in frustration the parishioners left the place. The next day (this evening) 3 officers visited the church threatening to return the thief," he tweeted.

Segalink, however, revealed that with the intervention of the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, the policemen have been identified and will be disciplined.

He added that the robbery suspect will be arraigned in court on Friday, December 6, 2019.

Damilare Famuyiwa Damilare Famuyiwa is a journalist and media consultant with over seven years of experience.

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