Two young men, Okechukwu Caleb and Christopher Chimezie Onyejekwe, have accused police officers attached to the Orile Police Division in Lagos State of abducting, assaulting, and extorting them in what they described as a “commando-style” operation that left them traumatized and financially drained.

Speaking to SaharaReporters, Caleb recounted that the incident occurred on the night of November 2, 2025, as he and his friend were returning home after concluding their business for the day.

According to him, a group of armed officers — each wielding AK-47 rifles with multiple magazines — intercepted them using a Sienna bus, forcibly dragging them inside without any form of identification or explanation.

“We had just alighted from a bike and were walking to the next street when the Sienna double-crossed us in a commando style,” Caleb said.
“Before we could react, the armed men forced us into their bus without telling us who they were.”

Caleb said that during the encounter, one officer threatened him, warning:

“When we get to where we are going, this your English won’t save you.”

When his friend’s phone rang, the officers allegedly seized it. Caleb said he resisted attempts to take his own phone but was punched in the jaw before giving in.

“They acted exactly like kidnappers,” he added.

The victims said they were driven around Lagos for hours before being taken to what they later discovered was the Orile Police Station, where they were stripped of their belongings and thrown into a cell without interrogation.

While in detention, Caleb said they met several other young men arrested in similar circumstances, many of whom bore visible injuries, including swollen eyes and bleeding wounds.

“These men move around the city kidnapping innocent people in the same commando style,” he claimed.

According to the victims, they were detained overnight and told the next morning to call relatives to pay ₦70,000 each for their release — a demand they described as ransom, not bail.

“They refused bank transfers and insisted on cash,” Caleb said. “After negotiation, they agreed to take ₦30,000 from each of us.”

He also alleged that Inspector Mary Abimbola, who recorded their details at the station, behaved unprofessionally, while another officer, identified as Inspector Kally, was “notoriously violent” and routinely slapped detainees.

“Inspector Kally slaps people at will, even those who come to secure someone’s release,” Caleb lamented.

Their eventual release reportedly came after influential market leaders and associates — including Jabulani, Ebuka Sly, Akaeze Igbakwu, Bro Johnson, and the leadership of Oduade Market — intervened by contacting senior officers and political figures. Realizing they had detained “the wrong people,” the officers allegedly released them before the Divisional Police Officer arrived.

Caleb said the ordeal caused them significant financial loss as they were cut off from clients throughout their detention. He also criticized the Lagos State Police Command for failing to respond to his complaints.

“I called SP Abimbola Adebisi, the new Police PRO, several times but got no response,” he said. “Lagos Police must do better.”

Describing the incident as “terrifying,” Caleb likened it to an abduction rather than an arrest and warned that innocent citizens remain at risk from corrupt officers.

“It’s difficult for people to understand the dangers young men face in the hands of bad eggs in the police,” he said. “In whatever office you occupy, be humane and professional — not like those at Orile Police Station.”

He called on Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Jimoh Moshood, to investigate the officers involved and clarify whether any law prohibits the free movement of innocent citizens.

“If the CP fails to act, he will be complicit in the atrocities of these officers who kidnap and extort people under the guise of law enforcement,” Caleb warned.