A film producer and television personality, Benjamin Ogunbodede, has alleged that some police officers in Lagos followed him to the ATM to collect a N10,000 bribe on Saturday.
Recounting his ordeal, Benjamin said he picked up a lady going his way On Friday and drove into a checkpoint mounted by some mobile police officers. Then he was asked to pull over and they requested for his drivers license, which he presented to them.
According to Sahara Reporters, the police also asked him to open his boot which he did. Having found nothing incriminating on him, the officers then asked what his connection was with the lady in his car.
When he told them she was just someone he offered a lift. The policemen then accused him of kidnapping and human trafficking.
“I told them I was just giving her a lift since I was going in the same direction.”
The explanation made no sense to the officers who then ordered him to get into his car and drive to the Ajuwon Police Station, while the lady was asked to get into their patrol van.
He wasn’t allowed to contact his family as his phones and other belongings were taken from him by the officers.
He said one of the officers ransacked his phones and laptops and found nothing incriminating. But they later discovered that his car had a different plate number.
He added, “I explained that the former owner wanted to have his number plate back since it was registered in his name, so I had to make a change of ownership, got a police report and a new number plate. That also did not impress them.”
Benjamin said he was later accused by the police officers of adultery, claiming that the woman whom he gave a lift said she was a sex worker and he was taking her to his place and will be paid N8,000 for her services.
According to him, after challenging the policemen to bring the lady to him to repeat the allegation in his presence, and letting them understand that he wasn’t married and could not have committed adultery as they alleged, they asked him to forget the explanations and “settle them” or be thrown into jail.
Benjamin quoted them as saying, “Guy, leave story and settle us or you will be here longer than you can ever imagine.”
Benjamin said he was compelled to write a statement.
They said he was going to pay the sum of N50,000 which he refused to pay and they kept him in the cell where he passed the night till Saturday morning when he accepted to pay N10,000
According to him, one of the officers was delegated to follow him to the an ATM point at Ajuwon/Akute- Alagbole in Lagos, where he gave him N10, 000
He added, “That done, I filled their bail form, and all my properties were released to me. The officers on duty made sure I didn’t get the Divisional Police Officer’s contact details posted on the walls of the station.”
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