By Fawaz Adebisi
A man known as Daddy Geoffrey has narrated how certain police officers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, extorted N80,000 from him after they cunningly planted a wrap of Indian hemp on him.
According to Geoffrey, the incident occurred on Sunday, July 23, while the police were conducting a routine stop-and-search at Obiri-Ikwerre junction, just before the entrance to Ozouba community in Port Harcourt.
Narrating the incident, Mr. Geoffrey said he was on his way to a friend’s party on Sunday night when the police officers stopped him at the junction.
Despite conducting a thorough search and finding nothing incriminating, one of the officers accused him of being a “Yahoo boy” (Internet fraudster) and refused to believe his explanation about his legitimate profession.
Even after showing them his ID card, Geoffrey said the officers persisted in their accusation, and they made him wait at a nearby petrol station while they discussed among themselves.
Subsequently, they asked him to undergo another search, in which Geoffrey complied confidently, feeling that he hadn’t violated any law.
However, during the second search, the officers produced a package of weed, which he vehemently denied being his.
“The next thing was that they brought out a parcel of weed (he didn’t know where it came from but he was confident it wasn’t from his bag )cause they already searched the first time,” he said.
He claimed that the policemen assaulted him physically, handcuffed him, and even forced him to pay off his driver who had left the scene.
Mr. Geoffrey asserted that he doesn’t smoke weed and has never used any such substances in his life, as he said he was willing to undergo a drug test to prove his innocence.
Despite this, the officers threatened to take him to their police station and later hand him over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
After being held in handcuffs inside their van for approximately two hours, the officers agreed that he could pay them 100,000 Naira, but he managed to negotiate it down to 80,000 Naira, which was the only amount he had access to at the time.
He narrated they further forced him to call his accountant for the remaining balance, but the accountant was unavailable.
He therefore demanded the refund of his hard-earned money and justice for the violation of his rights and freedom of movement.
He emphasized that he earns his living honestly through public relations practice and operating a short-let agency, a small properties business, and hosting events.
However, responding to this, Nigeria Police Force Spokesman, Prince Adejobi Olumuyiwa, assured that the Rivers State command would handle the matter while he follows up on it.
He further commended Geoffrey for his detailed narration and promised that the case would be thoroughly and professionally investigated to ensure justice is served.
