Members of the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network have accused Isheri Police Station, Lagos State Police Command of deceitfully impounding a motorcycle belonging to one Adetunji Adejuwon.
After impounding it, they allegedly collected N30,000 from him, promising to return the motorcycle, but they never did.
Oyelade Johnson was taking the motorcycle to where back box would be fixed when policemen at Berger area flagged him that he was a commercial cyclist and that he had flouted the Lagos State law on the ban of commercial cyclists.
The motorcycle in question is a Quilink Motorcycle 200 engine capacity.
Johnson explained that the motorcycle was for despatching and that he was going to the centre where a back was going to be fixed.
He also presented documents to authenticate his explanation, but the policemen refused to listen to him.
They impounded the motorcycle and even when the owner went to the station to claim it, they told him to go to Alausa, while another set asked him to go to Oshodi at Taskforce.
It is now five months and still counting and Adejumon had not be given his motorcycle and his N30,000 had not been refunded.
Recounting the incident, Johnson said: “They were about five policemen on that fateful day of 18th of December 2022 at Berger.
“They said motorcycle has been banned.
“I told them that the motorcycle was not Okada, but dispatch riding.
“I was taking the motorcycle to where plastic box will be installed at the back.
“They didn’t listen to my explanation instead they pushed me off the motorcycle.”
The policemen took the motorcycle to their office, while Johnson trailed them.
The policemen left the motorcycle at the station and returned to the road.
Johnson tried to explain his situation to another policeman, who advised him to return to the road to plead with the men.
He added: “I returned to the checkpoint to start pleading with them again.
“I was flagged around 12pm and I was there begging until 5pm.
“They asked me to pay N50,000.
“I told them I didn’t have such an amount of money and I reminded I had not committed any offence.
“They shouted at me to get out.
“I even them to the station again and they chased me out.
“I saw one of them going to buy something and I went to him.
“He asked me how much I had.
“I said N5,000.
“He collected it and asked me to come back on Monday.
“I can remember only the name of Obba Raymond.”
When Johnson returned to the station on Monday, the situation had become uncertain.
The policeman who collected N5,000 from him returned it and he was told that the motorcycle had been moved to Alausa in Ikeja and to Taskforce office in Oshodi.
“I was not told to write a statement,” said Johnson in frustration.
When it dawned on Johnson that the falcon could no longer hear the falconer and that things were beginning to fall apart, he called Adejuwon, the owner of the motorcycle.
Adejuwon immediately dashed to the Police Station.
Adejuwon, who revealed he partners with GOKADA, said when he got to the station, he was chased out, along with Johnson.
He was shocked at this shabby treatment.
He recounted: “Johnson had just collected the motorcycle, but insisted that he wanted a plastic box at the back, instead of aluminium one with it.
“I sent him money to go and changed the box, that was when they stopped him.
“He tried to explain and even showed them documents but they were not interested.
“When I checked the tracker on the motorcycle, it showed that it was at the Isheri Olofin Police Station.
“This was even as they were saying that it had been taken to Alausa and Oshodi.
“The motorcycle is new.
“The Police at the station refused access us into the station; they stopped us at the gate and shouted at us and then ordered us to leave.
“Outside the station, there is a man selling pepper.
“He asked what was the problem.
“I explained about my motorcycle and how the police treated us.
“He said he would introduce to a Policeman, Samuel Goje, that he would assist us.
“When Samuel came, he said that he would need money for transportation and recharge cards for his phone.
“I withdrew N5,000 and gave to him.
“He promised that the motorcycle would soon be out.”
According to Adejuwon, after that day, he had tried to call Goje to know how far, but he allegedly did not pick, adding: “However, on 25th of December, Samuel suddenly called me.”
Adejuwon thought there was good news.
He was soon deflated.
He narrated: “He said that I should send him N30,000 immediately and that by Thursday I would get my motorcycle.
“I told him that I didn’t have that kind of money.
“I called my brother and was able to raise N25,000.
“I asked for his account number.
“He said that he uses microfinance bank and that his account had issues.
“He said that I should pay through account details of the PoS operator working close to Isheri Police Station, which was what I did.
“He said that I should call on Thursday.
“I called on Thursday, but he didn’t pick my calls.
“My lawyer wrote the station about the motorcycle, but the station did not respond.
“I don’t known why they have held unto my motorcycle and still refused to refund money collected from me.
“I have never seen this kind of injustice before.”
A member of ACVPN, Neye Solomon, who went to Isheri to verify the incident, said: “I was shown evidence that the motorcycle has been taken to Alausa since the 19th of December 2022.
“The Station Officer (SO) brought out a page of the registration of the motorcycle, KTU 16QL, to show that it was no longer at the station.
“The SO brought entry paper which they had used to move the motorcycle to taskforce office at Alausa.
“Now the bone of contention is the extortion of the man.
“At about 12pm, Samuel Goje was invited by the station officer as instructed by the DPO to ask the officer why he was extorting Mr. Adejuwon Adetunji.
“As there are always two sides to a story, Samuel denied extorting money from Adejuwon to bring his motorcycle out of Isheri Police Station.
“He said money collected was to help Adejuwon to get his motorcycle out of the taskforce, where he claimed to know a Mobile Policeman working there.
“He said that it was the MOPOL that received money collected from Adejuwon.
“The DPO was not aware of the capacity of the motorcycle that was impounded.
“The SO admitted that such a motorcycle was brought to the station on 18th of December, 2022 and on 19th of December, 2022, the motorcycle, along with 15 others were put in an entry sheet, duly signed by the DPO.
“Adejuwon’s motorcycle, KTU 169 QL was among those taken to taskforce office, Alausa, Ikeja on 19th December, 2022.”
It was however resolved that since Adejuwon’s motorcycle was gone, Goje should refund his N30,000.