HOW I WAS EXTORTED BY THE MEN OF THE NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE
Am a graduate of Agricultural Economics and Extension from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho. After a long search for a job that wasn’t forthcoming I enrolled for the N-Power program which I was selected and got recruited,I saved up the little stipends which was paid during the program and with the help of family and friends I was able to start up a Business center and after awhile I added the now popular POS money transfer and withdrawal business, doing all this together with the motive of making ends meet and not to be seen as a “Lazy Nigerian Youth”. Going through all kinds of psychological stress that’s going on in the economy right now,I never allow it to be a discouragement to me rather I try to forge ahead.The Nigeria police @ngpolice really made me to have a different notion about making it in this country we all call our own.
My story:
On the 22nd of march a call from this number +2349039167632 came in that I got a parcel from DHL, at first I refused taking it seriously because I wasn’t expecting any parcel from anyone. I reluctantly gave my location out to them because of security reasons but did it with the believe that have got nothing to hide from anyone.
On getting to my office they changed the story by identifying themselves as men of the Nigerian Police force @ngpolice, telling me that I have been invited to their office by their DPO. I asked that what’s the reason of the invitation they declined giving me the info I asked. To my surprise they showed me my BVN slip which was supposed to be with my bank and it included all information about me ranging from my address to my DOB and other personal vital informations; on sighting this I felt more scared that something must definitely be wrong somewhere. I was fidgeting and sweating and also had a feel of sudden fever, because it was all a case of confusion. I tried making calls to my husband who has been to work since the early hours of the morning but they threatened to seize my phone and even shoot me which actually made me almost have a cardiac arrest because of the mention of shooting me because I tried to reach out to my husband..my neighbors came around and they helped me to call my husband and also my mum. We had to go to the station along with the two police officers and also accompanied by two of my neighbors.
On getting to Sango Police Station, I was taken to the DPOs office and He told me that someone went to a POS merchant and paid them with fake naira notes and offered them my account details where he needs the money to be moved to,the money was successfully moved to my GTB account before they discovered that the notes were fake bills of Naira notes so because of this I have become an accomplice in the crime which was committed just because money was moved to my bank account and after which
I was offered 3 options.
1. Provide the person who came to my shop to collect the money that was sent to my account.
2. Make a refund of the total money that was paid with fake notes which was in the sum of 130,000 naira.
3. Be taken to the cell and be taken to court and face a criminal offence call OBT.
On sighting all the options available I felt devastated and more confused but all I know is that I was only doing my normal daily business. The guy in question came that his boss needs to make payment for building materials and his boss will make a transfer of 130,000 which he intends to use in settling the building materials merchants,this is a normal occurrence which we go through on a daily bases,the money was moved to my account and I waited for it to drop successfully and I gave him the cash equivalent which belongs to him and a service charge of 1200 naira was paid for my service.
All my charges was 1200naira and I have now been told to make a payment of 130,000 naira to the man that collected fake naira bills out of his own carelessness.
At the station, after the DPO said his words and I was dumbfounded because I don’t even have such amount of money to pay back to anyone, he told them to take me to the cell until we make a decision on what to do.
I had to tell my friend to make some calls,I also called my husband who was already on his way to Sango Police Station with the little money he could place his hands on. My friend had to go to the nearest ATM point to withdraw 120,000 naira and we joined 10,000 naira from my husband and friends so as to make the payback.Then bail which was supposed to be FREE turned out to be a charge of 20,000 naira after so much plead they refused and was told to make a cash payment of 20,000 naira for bail.
It was after all this had been paid that I was given a release form to fill and was able to go home with my family and friends.
On my way out of the police station the same police officer that led my arrest was later introduced to me with the phone number 08132786332, as the person that can help me track the guy that spent the fake note but he will be doing it at a certain cost while giving me the assurance that after the guy has been caught he will be told to pay all the money that I must have spent. I left the police station with a feeling of disappointment and a devastated mindset because what the future holds for the ordinary struggling Nigerian is very shaky and uncertain.
All this stress and maltreatment just because I was going about my daily legit business just to make ends meet.
The IPO incharge of the case is Inspector Iyabo Adeyemi.
I pray this gets to the right authorities and the Nigerian Police Force for proper investigation and refund of my monies.