Man Loses Child After Police Extorts N300k From Him
A Nigerian man’s desperate attempt to rush his labouring wife to the hospital ended in tragedy after a police encounter resulted in the loss of their newborn. He said the police falsely accused him of being a kidnapper, cultist and armed robber and extorted N300,000 from him.
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He shared his ordeal on X (formerly Twitter) saying while driving his new car to pick his pregnant wife in labour, he was stopped by police officers. Despite explaining that the car belongs to his mother and the papers were in the process, the police accused him of being a kidnapper, cultist and armed robber.
He said the police physically assaulted him, handcuffed him and took him to the station. After several hours, they only released him after collecting N300,000 from him.
Unfortunately, because of the delay caused by the incident, his wife couldn’t make it to the hospital on time and their baby died.
After the emotional post, many people commented to express their thoughts and commiserate with the father.
This is a recurring pattern of alleged police misconduct in Nigeria. Recently, there have been many reports of citizens being extorted and harassed by police officers. For instance, in Imo State, a viral TikTok video showed a lady alleging that she and her baby’s father were beaten and extorted by police officers during a patrol in Amakohia, Owerri.
Also, there have been complaints of police extortion at checkpoints on major Nigerian roads. Travellers are frequently targeted for bribery and some officers resort to intimidation. One such case involved the Special Tactical Squad in Abuja who were implicated in the extortion of N30 million. There’s a need for comprehensive police reforms.
The Nigerian public outcry has prompted reactions from the authorities. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has expressed concern over reports of extortion and highhandedness by some members of the Nigeria Police Force. He said there must be accountability and asked citizens to report any misconduct.
Despite these promises, many Nigerians don’t believe in internal investigation and genuine reform. The recurrence of these incidents has destroyed public trust in the police and people are calling for more transparent and independent oversight.
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