A female commercial tricycle (Keke) rider, Joy Ivie, has narrated how police officers from Ijede, Area N division, Ikorodu, Lagos, allegedly assaulted her, broke her tricycle’s windscreen for failing to pay a bribe.
She also alleged that the officers stole her N50,000 installment fee.
Ivie, a single mother of two, explained that some police officers accosted her at Mamud, Ijede area of Ikorodu and demanded money, which she refused to give them, on her way home after closing for the day, at about 7:00p.m.
According to her, for not yielding to their demand, the police officers immediately asked her to park her tricycle.
She said: “The police officer demanded for my papers, which were not with me. I pleaded with him to allow me call someone, at home, to bring the tricycle registration papers for me.
“I was still waiting for the person that is bringing the documents, when the officers said they are taking my Keke NAPEP to their station.
“I asked what my offence was for impounding my Keke NAPEP, and the officer responded that since I can’t settle them for the day, my tricycle would be taken down to the station.
“While still arguing with the officer, the police team came and dragged me out and pulled my hair. As I was trying to free myself from the man, he pulled me towards the windscreen. The windscreen of my Keke NAPEP broke in the process and he drove it away.
“Afterwards, I visited the police station to settle the matter, but was arrested and kept behind the counter. I was also asked to bail myself with N5,000, another N5,000 for the Keke NAPEP and N5,000 for the police uniform they alleged I dragged along, as well as extra money for the policewomen on the counter.
“So, I paid a total of N18,000 for my release and the tricycle. They also threatened that if I come back to the station, they will put me in jail.”
Ivie added that on getting home at about 10:00p.m., she opened the Keke NAPEP safe box to take her installment fee, which she intended to pay the following day, and discovered that N50,000, she kept in the box was missing.
She pleaded with the Lagos State commissioner of police to look into her matter and help her recover the missing money as well as bring the officers involved to justice.
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ijede Police Station, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Sunday Oluwadare, said he was not aware of the incident.
Also, spokesperson for Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not pick his calls or respond to messages sent to him on the matter.
However, many Lagosians have taken to their Twitter handles to demand action from the Commissioner of Police, Hundeyin and human rights activists on the issue.
