Police Summon Officers Over Alleged N1m Extortion of NYSC Members in Lagos

Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed on Friday that the officers involved have been summoned and their trial has commenced.

Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Police Command has summoned four of its officers over their alleged involvement in the extortion of N1 million from some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

The incident came to light through a Twitter post by Oluyemi Fasipe (@YemieFash), who detailed how the corps members were allegedly threatened and then taken to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, Area C Police Command in Surulere, where they were reportedly “robbed.”

According to Fasipe, the officers began harassing the corps members when one of them could not produce a physical copy of his driver’s license. In a video accompanying the post, one of the corps members is seen presenting several vehicle documents to a police officer, who asks, “What of your driver’s license?” When the driver replied that it was being renewed, the officer demanded the renewal papers. Unable to present a hard copy of the renewal, the officer then instructed a plain-clothed man, later identified as another officer, to remove the vehicle’s number plates, sparking an argument.

The corps members were subsequently escorted to the police station, where they were reportedly prohibited from using their mobile phones and warned that they would be required to write statements at the station. One of the officers accused the corps members of “impersonation” for wearing only the NYSC cap without the complete uniform.

Fasipe’s tweet also included screenshots of bank transaction receipts and a voice note from one of the victims explaining how the officers extorted N1 million from the group.

“Dear @BenHundeyin, your officers today in Surulere extorted one million naira from three corps members. They were threatened with firearms, kidnapped, and taken to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, Area C Police Command of the @LagosPoliceNG, where they were robbed. Their offence was not having a physical copy of a driver’s licence. This is evil!” Fasipe tweeted.

In response, the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed on Friday that the officers involved have been summoned and their trial has commenced. Hundeyin urged the complainants to visit the Command’s Complaint Response Unit to testify at the ongoing trial.

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with many netizens calling for stricter measures to curb police misconduct and ensure justice for the victims.