Police arrest youth, ask them to surrender ‘all the money you made during Christmas’

Nigerian activist Femi Adeyeye shared the following story on Facebook today.

I was arrested last night and brutalised by officers of the Area C Police Division located at Ojuelegba (in Lagos State) for “moving at night”.

I had accompanied a worker of mine at that time to complete some premium jobs that were being delayed. We were crossed at Aguda, Surulere by these armed men; many of them were in mufti. I thought they were armed robbers at first and declined to go with them until I saw the uniformed ones.

I started by questioning the gestapo manner with which they were carrying out their ritual, what they call “raiding” and that was where the fight started.

We continued the royal rumble at the police station when I was denied access to my phone so as to make calls but was being led to the cell like a sheep. I rejected to be a sheep and the beating started. The swollen mouth was a result of resisting their harassment.

They are on a kidnapping spree. I heard an officer say “all the money you people made during the festive period, we would take them”.

This year has just started and over 100 persons have been picked by these criminal elements in this particular police station. They won’t stop anytime soon because it’s big business.

In the cell, I met close to 30 persons brought on similar offence. The ransom ranged from N30,000 to N100,000 per person.

I and my worker were released this afternoon without paying a dime. I have always told them that I am a “bad market”.

Police harassment, intimidation and brutality have not ended. Lace your boots Nigerians. #EndSARS #RevolutionNow