The Acting Commissioner of Police at the NRC Police Station in Kajola, Lagos, has refunded N30,000 to Francis Alagbe and his friend, two street photographers, whose money policemen attached to the station extorted on Friday.
This comes barely 24 hours after FIJ’s intervention, via a report and a series of calls, which forced the ACP to return the money stolen by her erring officers.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), told FIJ that the team of officers who extorted Alagbe and his friend had been summoned to police headquarters in Abuja.
To retrieve their money, Alagbe and his friend, on an order from the Lagos Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) after FIJ briefed them, went to the NRC Police Station on Saturday but were put behind the counter.
READ MORE: Police Arrest Photographer, Friend for Taking Pictures at Alagomeji Railway, Extort N30,000
FIJ found out after some time that the boys had been held incommunicado and informed the CRU about the situation. Alagbe’s elder brother, who had begun to get worried, then went to the police station. On arrival, he realised his brother’s gadgets and those of his friend had been seized.
The ACP, whose name was unknown and whom the Lagos CRU did not know because the station is not under the Lagos Police Command, told Alagbe’s brother that her men did not extort the boys. She then said she would keep the boys until the Commissioner of Police arrived.
When FIJ informed the Lagos CRU of the ACP’s stance, the CRU asked Alagbe’s brother to hand the phone over to her. After the CRU introduced themselves, she said if anyone had any case against her and wanted her details, they should get it from Abuja. She insisted that she did nothing wrong and ended the call.
READ ALSO: After FIJ’s Story, Lagos Police Return Content Creator’s N119,000 but Fail to Sanction Errant Policemen
As the ACP intensified her claims, FIJ called Muyiwa Adejobi, who said the boys could not be detained. Muyiwa said it was impossible, adding that he had already invited the police to Abuja and that what they were doing was a strategy to make the boys back out of the matter.
The N30,000 cash with Alagbe on Saturday evening.
“Don’t mind them; they are jittery because I have summoned them to Abuja. They want to use him to negotiate, but they will eventually release him. I have asked for the names of the guys involved. This is why they are trying to do that, to see if the guy would beg to say he is no longer interested in the case,” Muyiwa told FIJ on Saturday.
READ ALSO: After FIJ’s Story, Lagos Police Release Shop Owner, Return His Money
Not too long after, the Lagos CRU called the Airport Command and informed them about the matter. Once the Airport Command dialled the NRC Police Station, the ACP handed over the N30,000 her men had collected from the boys in cash.
Expressing his gratitude to FIJ, Alagbe said, “Thank you so much for your tireless efforts in seeking justice for my colleague and me. I’m home now and relieved to say that I’ve been fully refunded.”
On Saturday, FIJ reported that some NRC policemen arrested Alagbe and his friend for taking pictures of the environment at the Alagomeji Railway before extorting N30,000 from them. The officers claimed it was illegal for anyone to take pictures of the train, which the boys had not attempted.
The post After FIJ’s Story, ACP Refunds N30,000 to Photographers Who Police Extorted, FPRO Summons Officers to Abuja appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.