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The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police, Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has reminded Nigerians that any police personnel who extort money from citizens using a gun is not different from an armed robber.
Adejobi said this while responding to complaints on Twitter, now known as X, regarding the conduct of Nigerian police officers.
It all started when a crypto trader and Twitter influencer called out the police for allegedly invading his house and subsequently arresting him forcefully.
According to the Twitter user, mufti-wearing police officers broke into his estate without any search or arrest warrant, taking all the male residents to the station and accusing them of engaging in internet fraud.
The accuser provided receipt of the money the officers allegedly extorted from him and the others, which he claimed was a total of ₦500,000.
“So Policemen came to my estate yesterday evening around 7PM and packed all the men in the Estate. We all slept in the cell last night for no just reason. When we were called for ‘Questioning’ which was more or less a dictation. They said ‘You Dey do Yahoo’ I denied it because I don’t even know how Yahoo works.
“Next thing was to write a statement saying I’m either a Cultist or An Armed robber. We all refused writing statements without lawyers present, so we were forced to sleep in the cell. This morning, over 500k was extorted from us in general,” his narration read partly.
Another user commented on the post and tagged Adejobi saying “As PRO of Nigeria Police Force do something to this dirty stuff you mate always do everyday. Police are your friend indeed 🤮”
Responding, the force PRO said: “I think we need to get some things clear here. He insisted on seeing a lawyer, and he slept in the cell. Did the lawyer come? Was the money paid in the presence of his lawyer? If the lawyer didn’t come, why didn’t you call someone. Or was your phone taken away from you? He needs to clarify certain things here. Whether police are your friend or your enemy, what was the role your lawyer played.”
However, another X user replied to Adejobi with a screenshot of his old comment where he condemned extortion by the police.
“You know why I like you, you dey quick forget something. Ire o,” the user captioned the post.
The police spokesman also returned with another reply, stressing that his previous stance on the issue has not changed.
“Yes, this still stands. Any armed policeman or security operative who forcefully extorts an innocent Nigerian is as good as an armed robber. Extortion is never part of any agencies mandate, either armed or not. We condemn such, and even the IGP has made it clear," Adejobi's reply partly read.