Rose Okoli (not real name), an accountant in a Lagos-based newspaper firm, has detailed how two police officers from the Ifako Police Station in Gbagada, Lagos, harassed her on Friday.

Speaking with FIJ, Okoli said she was in a Bolt ride on Akindele Road, Gbagada, at about 10:30 pm when the duo ordered the driver to stop. She stated that they requested his driver’s licence and other documents, which he presented.

She said she observed that the police officers did not seem satisfied after the driver had presented his papers because he did not seem intimidated by their presence.

Okoli said she thought it would end there, but the officers started exchanging words with the driver. She said one officer then charged forward to where the driver parked the car and opened the door.

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“I almost fell off when he opened the door because I did not expect it. I told him he was unprofessional to have opened the door the way he did,” Okoli recalled.

“He then said he wanted to search my bag. I asked him, on what grounds? He had no reasonable answer but only murmured angrily. The driver told him not to shout at me, but he ignored him.”

Okoli said she got out of the car and presented her work identity card to the officer who shouted at her. She said she then asked him to identify himself after seeing her ID card, but he started cussing.

“He said ‘What you do is to destroy people’s lives. That is your life goal. But it is your brother in the village that you will destroy his life not my own.’ I asked him who he was, but he said, ‘look at this ant. I should give you my identity?’”

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She said she insisted she would not allow him to search her bag until the officer identified himself. Later, she said, the police officer told her he would not let her go until a female officer got to the scene or they went to the police station.

“I dropped my bag on the floor and asked him to search it, but he refused,” she said.

“He said he would wait for a female officer to search it or we would go to the station.

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“I told him I would leave the moment I got another ride, which I did. I left at about 11:15 p.m. However, during the argument, he said he would call his daughter to slap me. I asked him why he had no tag on his shirt since he knew he was acting unlawfully. But he said I was threatening him.”

When FIJ called SP Abimbola Ojo, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Ifako Police Station, she said Okoli should come see her at the station.

“Can she recognise the officers?” Ojo said. “Let her come now and meet me at the station. She should ask of the DPO.”