How I was branded cultist, extorted N700k by cops – Lagos resident

A Lagos resident, identified as Osasi, has alleged that he was branded a cultist and extorted of about ₦700,000 by men who identified themselves as police officers in Ikorodu, describing the experience as one of the most traumatic of his life.

In a post shared via his X handle @osasipicture, the resident said the incident occurred on Sunday after he left a friend’s house in Ikorodu where he had gone to lend his MacBook charger.

Osasi disclosed that he was stopped by men who were not in standard police uniforms.

“After leaving his place and heading home, I was stopped by men who identified themselves as Nigerian police officers. They were not dressed in standard police uniforms, which made the situation even more frightening,” he said.

Osasi alleged that he was forcefully pushed into his car and accused of being a cultist “without any evidence.”

He said his phone was searched and he was threatened with death if he did not cooperate.

“They drove me around to different locations, including from Ikorodu to Ketu under a bridge, while continuing to threaten me,” he said.

“Under fear for my life, I was forced to open my banking apps and make transfers. In total, about ₦700,000 was taken from my account through coercion.”

Transaction receipts shared by the victim indicated he transferred the sums of N256,000, N256,000 and N206,000 respectively from an Opay account to three separate accounts.

The first transfer was sent to an Opay account named Busola Opeyemi Olasore with number 6142098846, the second to a Moniepoint account named Juliet-Chrisjunior Enterprises with number 8162951940, and the third to another Moniepoint account named Adejoke Ajewole with number 8159667125.

Osasi added that the men demanded ₦5 million and also forced him to call friends to raise more money.

“This was not a voluntary transaction. Every action I took was because I genuinely feared for my life,” the victim stressed.

He described the experience as one of the “most traumatic moments” of his life.

The resident said he was sharing the video of the incident to draw public attention, adding that “no Nigerian should have to experience this.”

“I am reporting this incident to the appropriate authorities and financial institutions, and I hope those responsible are identified and held accountable,” he wrote.

Urging users to help share the post for further reach, he stated: “This has to stop.”

Meanwhile, the New Media Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Aliyu Giwa has directed the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Lagos State Police Command to investigate the matter.

The command has repeatedly warned residents to demand proper identification from officers and to report cases of extortion and unprofessional conduct to the CRU.