Commercial Motorcyclists Petition Lagos CP Over Extortion.
By Our Reporter.
Some commercial motorcycle riders have accused policemen from the Amukoko Divisional Headquarters in Lagos State of extortion and the unlawful impounding of their motorcycles.
In three separate petitions submitted through the iRelief Committee for Human Rights and Civic Engagements to the State Commissioner of Police, the motorcyclists claimed that the officers demanded sums ranging from N20,000 to N100,000 for the release of their seized motorcycles.
One petitioner, Mr. Odutayo Waris, who is also a painter, explained that he was arrested around 11:30 PM on August 29, 2025, while on his way to a vigil at Safejo in the Amukoko area.
He reported being detained overnight without any explanation. Waris stated that a total of N40,000 was paid to a policeman identified as Okunade Oludayo before he was released the following day, which included N20,000 given in cash by Waris’ mother and another N20,000 transferred to him via a recommended Point of Sale agent.
A photo of the payment receipt for the transfer to an Opay account under the name Najeeb Opeyemi Muyideen was included with the petition.
When contacted for comment, the accused policeman, Oludayo, denied the allegations, stating he was unaware of Waris’ arrest and could not confirm whether it took place.
He remarked, “I’m not familiar with that name. I can’t say he was arrested. We conduct raids, but it’s only the task force that leads those operations. If he was arrested, I wasn’t involved in the operation.”
Regarding the extortion claims, Oludayo responded, “They are just trying to find a way to implicate people. If he was arrested, I can’t deny that. However, that area, Safejo, has a history of crime, and there have been recent robberies there.”
Meanwhile, commercial motorcyclists Shazali Ibrahim and Umar Husaini alleged that their motorcycles were seized on August 27 and 28, 2025, respectively. Ibrahim claimed his motorcycle was taken by an individual named Shidi, who worked with a policeman named Ishaku Babaji.
He recounted that his motorcycle was seized at Mosafejo Bus Stop around 9:40 PM while he was returning home from work, and he was forced to pay N50,000 at the station to retrieve it.
However, Ishaku Babaji refuted Ibrahim’s claims, stating he was unaware of any money being collected. He added, “As police, we don’t speak individually. For any comments, you need to contact the PPRO or the DPO of the station.
When a directive is given to arrest motorcycles, it is executed by the task force, and seized motorcycles are taken to the headquarters in Ikeja. I am not aware of any money being collected.”
In a third petition, an officer named Augustine Ada was accused of confiscating the motorcycle of another rider, Umar Hussaini.
Hussaini claimed his motorcycle was seized just before 10 PM by the policeman who alleged he violated the 10 PM curfew. Hussaini explained that he promptly informed Abubakar Abdulkadir, the legitimate owner of the motorcycle, about the situation via a phone call.
In a conversation with Saturday PUNCH, the accused policeman stated, “If anyone tells you this, they are lying. I don’t know him or have any issues with the motorcycle’s owner before the arrest. We seized the motorcycle at exactly 10:30 PM or later along Coker Express.
They approached me, but before anything could happen, the incident was recorded and the video was sent to headquarters. I have no reason to seize the motorcycle if there was no offence committed.”
Meanwhile, Momoh Raimi, the Secretary General of the iRelief Committee for Human Rights and Civic Engagements, demanded an investigation into the alleged professional misconduct of the policemen by the state Police Command. He warned that such misconduct could lead to public unrest similar to the 2020 EndSARS protests.
When contacted regarding the petitions, the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, stated she was not aware of the matter and promised to consult her deputy, Babaseyi Oluseyi.
