The Lagos State Police Command is under fire for concealing
the faces of policemen arrested for extortion.
On Thursday, a youth narrated how the officers stopped him
and called him a ‘Yahoo boy’, the Nigerian slang for internet fraudster.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, the victim, Oluwagbadura,
recalled how he was accosted at Soloki in Aguda, Surulere.
Though the officers did not find anything on him, they
seized his phone and company laptop.
“They searched my phone. They called me a criminal for
chatting with my friends on WhatsApp.
“They threatened to shoot and lock me up! Next, they took me
to their station, then forced me to admit to being a criminal.”
After subjecting the young man to trauma, the police team
then asked him to write a statement and bail himself.
“I transferred N100,000 to the POS vendor, and then paid
N2,000 for charges”, he told the public.
One of them also threatened to deal with Oluwagbadura while
he’s in the cell and boasted nothing would happen.
On Friday, Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos, SP
Benjamin Hundeyin announced that the culprits were summoned to the
headquarters.
“The complainant positively identified them all. They have
been handed over to the Provost department for appropriate disciplinary
measures”, the spokesperson added.
But the blurred faces of the officers have got Nigerians
talking; some accuse the police of covering the identity of bad eggs who should
be exposed.
Some reactions to Hundeyin post: @becca4gold: They are
criminals, show their faces.
@JerryPiticle: You don’t need to blur their faces abeg.
Let’s know our enemies
@okoye_inc: When you told us the story of Ice Prince, you
did not censor his face.
@ehiokupa: Poor man wey thief money, Omo dem go show him
face for crime fighters. Policeman wey extort citizen, Omo we nor dey see dem
face for Twitter. Why na?
@sajbaba100: Why do we still call their offence extortion,
it is armed robbery because they terrify and threaten you with their guns and
force you to do what you will otherwise not do…same as non-uniformed robbers. I
think we should take note.
@Ogalachidubem: Oga why blur their face, aren’t they
criminals or you are protecting their already dented image?
@urch_dollars: Why u dey cover their faces? Tomorrow, we go
still see them for road.
@mj_esong: 1. Why are their faces covered since the NPF
usually display faces of suspects; 2. Hope after disciplinary measures within
the NPF, they’ll be treated like the armed robbers that they are.
@PastorDJDaniels: Kindly repost their faces as ordinary
citizens are openly paraded. You could do more by answering the popular voice
of reason.
@oyinnex: I don’t understand why their faces were blurred
sha. One no even get name tag. Maybe na ur boy be that.
@jaybrizzy: Parade suspects for photo shoot. E reach your
boys that have been found to have extorted money from an innocent person you
blur out their faces? I didn’t know you guys can be this considerate to
criminals.
@oga_pharmacist: You blur the face of officers that have
been positively identified to have committed crimes, but you expose the faces
of “yahoo boys” and others? This is nonsense, stick to a standard.
@uBeRToKS: You expose the faces of suspects but cover the
faces of confirmed offenders? What is good for the goose, no good for gander
again?
@oddminers: Why blur the faces? The complainant said they
were 6. We see only 4. If you don’t shame these criminals, others considering
the act will feel protected.
@fisayosoyombo: Why is the police covering the faces of
officers who have been investigated and confirmed to have criminally extorted
an innocent civilian, though? That’s tacit encouragement of bad behaviour!
Hundeyin replied: “Even a person caught red handed
committing a crime remains a suspect pending judgment. Their trial has
commenced. For those not happy about this, kindly sponsor a bill to amend the
law. There is provision for that in our laws.”
With a photo proof in response to the PRO’s comment, @jem_fuvbe
quipped: “Why did you cover their faces but exposed the faces of the civilians
who are still under investigation?
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