HOW POLICEMEN FROM AKINPELU STATION IN LAGOS OPERATE LIKE ARMED ROBBERS, AS DPO RETURNS PART OF EXTORTED MONEY

Some of them use nicknames, while others go by first names the residents are all too familiar with. When they patrol the streets of Balogun, Bolade, and its environs in the Oshodi area of Lagos State, these men in black hold their victims at gunpoint and take ransom payments before letting them go.

Benedict Eilenbaluagbon, DPO of Akinpelu Police Station, believes night raids are commonplace, and the police are empowered to arrest and detain anyone for being outside their homes past midnight.

FIJ sat with the DPO on Wednesday, following several complaints about policemen at the station. “The police raided again,” residents told FIJ the day before. “I was just closing up my sister’s shop and preparing to retire for the night when they showed up with koboko.

“They arrested many of us and detained us behind their counter. No criminal allegation, just mosquito bites all night till morning.”

While playing host in a casual T-shirt and jean trousers and sitting leisurely on a couch in his office, the DPO first explained that the commissioner of police empowered divisions to go on night raids, “pick at random and screen people to know whoever has a case to answer”.

Eilenbaluagbon said he was assigned to the division three months ago and found the crime rate in the area to be high, which was why he encouraged his men to go on raids.

Although he admitted they could do better during a two-hour conversation with FIJ, the DPO did not invite any of the named policemen for questioning or sanction.

Ife, Joseph and Debo, the residents named as policemen guilty of arbitrary arrest and extortion. One other goes by the nickname ‘World Best’. Several others are known by nicknames, but on that Tuesday morning, they spotted these four.

A week before that incident, the neighbourhood stayed awake as World Best charged at one resident with his gun. “He was threatening to shoot the guy in the head that night,” a witness told FIJ.

One of the residents captured the fracas in a video clip. No fewer than 15 residents gathered around the policeman to calm him down.

World Best charging at a resident with his gun
As was the case with other incidences FIJ relayed to Eilenbaluagbon, the DPO ignored the residents’ concerns.

FIJ then told him how several detainees were made to part ways with money to secure their release.

One resident, Ifesinachi Emegwalu, transferred N20,000 at about 2:26 am to a GTB account number one of the policemen provided. This account was linked to an Usman Lasisi.

Transaction receipt
Others paid several sums as ransom. One resident who was with FIJ during the interview with the DPO said he had to pay N5,500.

”Is it the N5,500 you came for,” Eilenbaluagbon asked. “Go and bring N5,000 for this man,” he ordered one of the men outside his office. “We will give him N5,000 and keep the rest let him have something with us. Police no de return money. Abi, no be so?”

This resident collected the money and thanked FIJ, but it did not end at that point.

”I will be returning tomorrow with others whose monies were taken as well,” this resident told the DPO.

On Thursday, Emegwalu appeared before the DPO. He only got N10,000 of his money back as the DPO told him, “This is from my pocket. I don’t want to go and call the policemen because they will deny, so let me just give you this one from my pocket.”

During the interview on Wednesday, Eilenbaluagbon expressed a desire to have the matter quietened. He said in Pidgin English, “Focus on the one wey never bad so you go fit fix am. The one wey don bad don bad.”

Six years ago, the names were Orubu Oluwole, Apalowo Ola, Kasai Sule, Momoh Ogwuche and Adoga Collins.

Five policemen attached to this station went to a club on November 29, 2019, to effect an arrest. There, they violated the Force Order 237 and fired a shot that led to the death of one Maliki Mohammed.

Despite these men facing sanctions for their actions, the station continues to amass more complaints.

FIJ called Benjamin Hundeyin, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, on Thursday but his number was unreachable.

https://fij.ng/article/in-lagos-policemen-from-akinpelu-station-operate-as-armed-robbers/