The Lagos State Police Command has launched an internal investigation into allegations that officers attached to the Area H Police Command in Ogudu extorted $2,000—about ₦3.33 million—from a couple they allegedly wrongfully arrested in December 2025.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the probe in a post on X, saying the officers involved had been identified and transferred to the command headquarters for questioning.
“The officers involved in the alleged extortion have been identified and brought to the Command Headquarters,” Adebisi said. “The Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Department ‘A’ to oversee the investigation. The officers have made statements, and we are awaiting the complainant to come forward to present his side of the story.”
The allegations surfaced publicly after details of the incident were shared on social media and later reported by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
According to FIJ, a friend of the couple, identified as Abiodun Alabi (not his real name), said the incident occurred in the early hours of December 18, 2025, as the couple was travelling out of Lagos. Police officers allegedly stopped them, profiled the man, seized his phones and took both husband and wife to the Ogudu Police Station.
Alabi alleged that the woman, who was pregnant at the time, was forced to sit outside while her husband was taken inside and compelled to write an incriminating statement without legal representation.
He said officers initially demanded $5,000 in USDT, a cryptocurrency, but later reduced the amount to $2,000 after negotiations. The money was allegedly transferred to a wallet address provided by the officers, after which traces of the transaction were deleted. FIJ reported that a transfer receipt was preserved because the payment was made through a third party’s wallet.
Following the incident, Alabi said he filed a complaint with the Police Complaints Response Unit (CRU), which referred him to the Station Officer at Area H Command, Olumide Jegede. A meeting was later held at the station on December 23, during which the couple reportedly identified some of the officers involved.
During the meeting, Alabi alleged that the officers attempted to justify their actions and later claimed the money had already been shared among several personnel. He said they offered a partial refund, citing the difficulty of retrieving funds already distributed.
FIJ reported that ₦2.2 million has so far been returned to the victims, with officers allegedly asking to retain about ₦1 million and promising to refund the balance in instalments.
Attempts to reach SP Adebisi to confirm whether the complainant had formally reported to the command headquarters were unsuccessful as of press time. Station Officer Olumide Jegede also declined to comment when contacted, saying the matter could be followed up at his office.
The case adds to growing public scrutiny of police conduct in Lagos, as rights groups and citizens continue to demand accountability, transparency and an end to extortion and unlawful arrests within the force.
