A foreign national has narrated how the Nigeria Police Force Complaint Response Unit (CRU) helped him recover ₦150,000 allegedly extorted from him by police officers in Lagos.
The man, who spoke in a video circulating online on Saturday, said the incident occurred on Friday night in the Ikeja area of Lagos State while he was heading to a bar with a friend to watch a football match.
According to him, the Uber vehicle conveying them was stopped by police officers on a bridge in Ikeja, where he was asked to present his passport and visa. He explained that although he did not have his passport on him at the time, he contacted his staff to send photographs of the documents to his phone to confirm his legal status in Nigeria.
He alleged that despite this, the officers became hostile, forcibly pulled him out of the vehicle and threatened him with their weapons while demanding money.
“I tried to explain my situation, but they were rude and aggressive. They threatened me with their weapons and demanded money. I was very scared because I have been living legally in Nigeria and had never experienced anything like this,” he said.
The man claimed he was compelled to transfer ₦150,000 to the officers to secure his release.
After later receiving images of his passport and visa, which confirmed his legal residency, he said he realised the demand was unjust and decided to seek redress. He explained that he searched online for the Police Complaint Response Unit and sent an email detailing the incident, attaching evidence including his bank transfer records and visa documents.
According to him, officials of the CRU responded within hours and requested additional information to aid their investigation.
“Within two or three hours, the staff of the CRU contacted me and asked for more details so they could clearly understand what happened,” he said.
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He added that an officer of the unit, identified as Anthony Chukuma, maintained constant communication with him over the weekend, liaising with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ikeja Division and coordinating efforts to identify the officers involved.
The foreign national also commended the DPO of Ikeja Division, Akin Umi, for promptly initiating an internal investigation into the incident.
He disclosed that following the intervention of the CRU and the Ikeja Division, the ₦150,000 was refunded to his bank account on Monday morning.
“With the cooperation of the Complaint Response Unit and the Ikeja Division, my money was recovered. The ₦150,000 was paid back into my bank account,” he said, while expressing appreciation to the Nigeria Police Force officials who handled the matter.