Policeman Stripped Naked in Public-Nigeria

Policeman Stripped Naked in Public

Source: Asia Africa Intelligence Wire

Publication Date: 08/09/2002


(From P.M. News (Nigeria): AAGM)

Byline: Andrew I. Utulu

A police officer was yesterday stripped naked in the full glare of passers-by and motorists by the men of the Special Police Squad on eradication of extortion and illegal road blocks.

The incident occurred at about 8.40p.m. at Jungle Bus Stop along Iju Road, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government of Lagos State.

The extortionist was arrested by a 5-man special squad that was well armed. On sighting the squad, the colleagues of the arrested officer, numbering about four, took to their heels.

One of them was said to have thrown the money realised from their extortion binge at a roadside bread seller as he made good his escape.

However, luck ran against one of the officers who could not be immediately identified by P.M.News as he was promptly encircled by the heavily-armed squad. He was frisked by the only unarmed member of the squad on the instruction of the rest of the squad.

During the search, an unspecified amount of squeezed naira notes were recovered from him.

The team instantly stripped him of his service beret, uniforms and a pair of boots before he was finally taken away.

The news of the presence of the anti-extortion squad immediately spread like wild fire to Fagba Bus Stop along Iju Road where a similar check point had been illegally mounted.

When P.M.News arrived at Fagba, policemen had left the road and gone into hiding. Only a handful of them could be sighted by the fenced wall along the bus stop, away from the road, while motorists drove their vehicles unmolested.

Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government has, for some time now, been under the siege of corrupt policemen who extort money from motorists, with College, Jungle and Fagba bus stops all along Ifako, Agege and Iju roads, ill-reputed for the the presence of such corrupt policemen.

This has complicated the traffic snarl on these roads as illegal collection of N20 by policemen impedes the free flow of traffic.

Motorists and passers-by who witnessed the operation of the special squad on illegal checkpoints and extortion for the first time yesterday were amazed at the swift efficiency with which the squad operated and hoped the exercise will be sustained.

But for their guns and their bullet-proof vests with the inscription: "Police" one would hardly believe that the plain-clothed men were men of a police special squad.

Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com)