A Lagos-based entrepreneur, Sam Ochonma, has recounted his harrowing arrest by the some unidentified policemen during a routine check in Lagos.
In a post on his Instagram page, Ochonma, username @jaytrafford, who is the Co-founder and the Managing Director of a Branding-Media Advertising company, The Hook, revealed that he was forced to pay N2.8 million to secure his release after the cops demanded N10 million ransom and threatened to kill him.
Ochonma revealed that he was on his was from the gym around 9:30 PM when a Sienna stopped him, and men in police jackets accused him of being a cultist, handcuffing and threatening to shoot him.
He explained that they drove him to Agege, demanding a ransom of 10 million Naira. After hours of pleading and visiting over 20 POS terminals, he managed to pay 2.8 million Naira before being released at 3:45 AM.
He emphasized the unsafe conditions in Nigeria and the systemic issues in policing.
He wrote, “l had a police incident in Lagos today. It was meant to be a routine check on the road but they insisted that I had to enter their station. I told them they’d either have to bundle me or have me arrested. I wasn’t to be moved. I wasn’t moved.
“Sadly though, many Nigerians don’t get to tell their stories because only God knows how many lives got wasted because they didn’t have money to pay or just simply refused to be bullied. We have a long way to go and we are moving in the wrong direction. We have a crisis of policing in Nigeria.
“Yesterday, on my way back from the gym around 9:30 PM, my life flashed before my eyes. A Sienna suddenly parked in front of me, and men wearing police jackets with guns approached me.
“They said it was a stop and search operation and ordered me to open my trunk. I complied and showed them my car documents, Then, they demanded my phone for a search. Suddenly, they accused me of being a cultist, shouting, “We’ve caught a cultist!” Everything happened so quickly. One of them got into my car, and the other handcuffed me, threatening to shoot if I didn’t get into their vehicle, insisting I was a cultist.
“They started driving my car while I was in their van. I had no idea where they were taking my car until I managed to look outside the dark van and saw we were on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, with guns pointed at me.
“To make a long story short, they took me to Agege and demanded a ransom of 10 million Naira, threatening to kill me if I didn’t pay. We went through over 20 POS terminals, and eventually, ~2.8 million Naira was transferred after hours of plea because they couldn’t get all the cash that night. I was released around 3:45 AM. Nigeria is very unsafe!.”
