RULAAC accuses Lagos Police of extortion, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, calls for investigation

A rights advocacy group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has called on the Lagos State Police to end increasing incidents of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention over minor offences, extortion and other bail-related human rights abuses.

RULAAC made the call in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, on Friday.

The group, which alleged some officers within the command of abusive practices said the activities that gradually built up to #EndSARS protests are still continuing in Lagos.

RULAAC, while recalling the directive of the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, of limiting arrests and detention to only major offences to contain the deadly COVID-19, urged the Lagos Police to immediately put an end to increasing cases of arrests, indefinite detention over minor offences, extortion and other bail-related human rights abuses.

The advocate group while expressing worry at the level of extortion, by police officers in Lagos, alleged that many of them, by their activities, are focused on arresting people in order to extort them of money.

RULAAC gave an instance of extortion, how one Mr. Kebir Sani, a tanker driver was arrested and released 15 days later after being extorted massively.

RULAAC charged the Lagos Police to continually observe the rule of law which limits the duration a person arrested for any alleged crime can be held in police custody adding that rather than being held indefinitely, they are required to grant bail or charge to court.

The statement read in part: “For the umpteenth time under one month, RULAAC expresses concern and calls on the Lagos State Police Command authorities again to end increasing incidents of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention over minor offences, extortion and other bail-related human rights abuses.

Some officers within the command are hell-bent on continuing with abusive practices that attract resentment rather than empathy for the police. It is disconcerting that the predatory activities that gradually and cumulatively built up to #EndSARS are still continuing. No lessons seem to have been learnt.

“We recall that in March 2020, as part of measures to control the likely infection and spread of Covid-19 among persons detained in police cells, the IGP issued directives to police officers to limit arrests and detention to only major offences. But this directive, like previous ones such as the ban on police checkpoints and the ban on the use of police officers as escorts to all manner of private individuals have all been honoured in the breach than in the observance.

“Mr. Kebir Sani was arrested on March 23 and released on April 4, a clear 15 days later.

“In the words of his brother, ‘The Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Command, collected the sum of N100,000 before he was released.’

“Kebir’s brother reported that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) was angry with him for reporting his brother’s indefinite detention to the Deputy Commissioner and asked him how he got his number.

“RULAAC’s information is that Kabiru Sani, a tanker driver, drove into Lagos from Benin on March 23 and stopped over somewhere at Ikorodu and was arrested during a raid in the area for some cultists terrorising the area. Mashood, Kabir’s brother said Mr. Kabiru Sani, has been detained at Command Headquarters, Ikeja.

“Efforts had been underway to get the Police authorities to release him.

They even ask us to pay twenty thousand naira yesterday for them to write a report to commissioner of police yesterday, Sir this is getting out of hand am confused I don’t know what to do.

“Mashood further said ‘the DPO at Ikorodu is asking for N20,000 before he can start thinking of working for him to be granted bail.’

“Now they are not allowing our relatives who come to the station to see him anymore’.

“It was based on the information above that RULAAC contacted the DCP Administration for the second time and he asked us to send Kebir’s brother who is in Lagos to him.

Irked by the development, arbitrary arrests and regular extortions by Officers in the state, RULAAC called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to forestall the abuse of power and corruption in the command.

It also demanded a full scale investigation into the allegation of extortion of Kebir’s brother to release him and to ensure that the Police officers responsible for this are prosecuted and made to refund the money they extorted from Kebir’s family members.