Akolade Omobola, a student of Ekiti State University (EKSU) in Ekiti State, has narrated how he was harassed and detained for six hours by Policemen in Efon Alaye, Ekiti State, because of his inability to offer them a bribe.

Omobola, who is also a food vendor, told FIJ that the policemen arrested him while on a journey from Ado-Ekiti to Lagos State on April 23.

“I am a food vendor in EKSU, so I haven’t gone home since the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) strike commenced,” said Omobola.

“Since most students had gone home, few people patronised my Shawarma business. So, as a result of the low sales I was recording, I decided to travel to Lagos, where I permanently reside.

“When our bus got to a checkpoint at Efon Alaye around 11 am, two officers stopped us. They then asked all the passengers who have school bags to alight from the bus.

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“I was the only passenger to come down from the bus because of the school bag I carried.”

The food vendor said the officers would find his laptop inside the bag during their search.

“Since the last time I was harassed by policemen in 2021, I now take my laptop receipt with me anywhere I go. When they requested the receipt, I gave it to them. After checking the receipt and couldn’t find anything incriminating, they shifted their attention to my phone.

“When I showed them my phone, they didn’t find anything illegal on it as well. It was after this that one of them told me to find ‘something for the boys’.

“I tried to explain to them that I only had my transport fare with me but they wouldn’t listen.”

When Omobola was unable to give the officers the money they demanded, they ordered the bus driver to continue on the journey and leave him behind. 

“The officers told the driver that I had been arrested. I was surprised because I didn’t know what I was arrested for. While trying to plead with them that I was still going to Lagos, they told me to keep quiet and stay inside their bus,” the student said.

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Omobola said he spent six hours at the checkpoint, begging to be released by the officers.

“At about 5 pm, when I couldn’t give them any money that they had earlier requested, one of them told me to go. He told his other colleagues in pidgin that, ‘this one no be yahoo, e no get anything.'” said the food vendor.

Omobola said because it was already late, he had no option than to discontinue his journey.

“I had to return to Ado-Ekiti that same day. I then travelled to Lagos state the following day,” he said.

FIJ placed several calls to Sunday Abutu, the Ekiti state Police Relations Officer (PPRO), but it did not connect. He has also not responded to an SMS sent to him at press time.