A Lagos-based mother, Mrs. Alabi, has called on the state Commissioner of Police, Ishola Olanrewaju, to intervene in a case where she claims her family was extorted by police officers at the Elere Division in Agege. According to Alabi, her family was forced to pay N50,000 in exchange for the release of her son, Quayum Alabi, who had been wrongfully detained.
Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Sunday, Mrs. Alabi recounted the events leading up to her son’s arrest and the alleged extortion. She explained that her son was detained by police officers while returning home from work. He was stopped and accused of “late-night crawling,” a vague charge that the family believes was unjust.
“The police searched my son but found nothing incriminating on him. Despite this, they detained him. He was held in their station without any contact with the family,” she said.
According to Mrs. Alabi, it was only the following day that her son was allowed to call his father.
When her husband arrived at the police station to secure their son’s release, the officers demanded N100,000 for bail.
“We explained that we are a poor family, but our appeals to the police went unheard,” Alabi continued.
After prolonged negotiations, the bail amount was reduced to N50,000, which Mrs. Alabi had to borrow from a contribution group she was part of.
This loan, according to Alabi, has caused significant financial strain on her family.
“Though the N50,000 might seem small to some, for us, it was a life-saver. I have been struggling to pay it back through my petty trading, but the debt has left us in hardship,” she added.
Mrs. Alabi now seeks the help of the Commissioner of Police to recover the money she claims was extorted from her family.
“I will be grateful if the Commissioner of Police can help me get my money back because I am still paying the debt,” she said.
Efforts to reach the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, for a comment on the matter were unsuccessful. Hundeyin did not respond to calls, messages, or WhatsApp inquiries after more than 48 hours.
The issue of police extortion has drawn attention across the country. Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, condemned the growing number of extortion cases involving officers. One particularly troubling case was reported from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where officers allegedly extorted N10 million from some youths.
The Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed that the officers involved in the Yenagoa case had been detained and were facing an orderly room trial. He also stated that the money was recovered thanks to efforts from the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 16.