Phantom allegation: Rights Group Exposes Lagos SARS Illegal Arrest, Extortion Of Innocent Citizen

          ….Petitions IGP, PSC,DIG Investigation,AIG Zone 2, others

A human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has accused the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force(NPF),Lagos State Command of planning to arrest an Intelligence Officer of Lagos Neigbhourhood Safety Corps, Muhammed Junaid Seun on trump-up allegation,condemning the act of Lagos Police,particularly, the men of SARS of using phantom allegation against Lagosians by turning them to conduit pipe of enriching their pockets illegally.

CHRSJ, alleged the SARS team led by one Mr. Ikuraymon with Phone number-08024102711 attached to the IRT office,Harold Estate,Shodipe Area,GRA Ikeja,Lagos State,of terrorizing the innocent Nigerians including,Commercial drivers and Okada riders plying the area,with their illegal extortion.

According to the group that was one of end SARS campaigners;one Okada man called Segun and popularly known as “Mesan”, who always plying the area, was arrested by the SARS team on phantom allegation of armed robbery and instead of conducting the due diligent investigation into the matter, the team began to arrest innocent people illegally,adding that till the time of filling this report, the team could not identify where the alleged robbery took place in the State.

It also alleged that the SARS team arrested the younger brother of the Segun’s Landlord, one Mr. Gafar Bakare with Phone number-08069764073 at No 9,Adebari Street,old Oko-Oba road,Agege, which they collected sum of N50,000 before he was released on bail by the team.

It added that the team went to the Segun’s house with Private Sienna car to pack all the Segun’s property to unknown destination while still in the team custody till this present moment of writing this report too.

The group on Monday, spoke against the backdrop of the illegal invitation extended to the Law abiding citizen,Mr. Muhammed Junaid on the subject matter,which the team has turned it to conduit pipe to extort any known person to Segun “Mesan”, so that  he would be threatened with the illegal arrest and charged to Court on trump-up charge as a way to extort him further.

Although, Muhammed was the person that took Segun to his present house in question where there was vacacy in the room of the appartment to rent.

In a Petition Letter dated 24th of June 2019 and signed by the CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman and forwarded to the Inspector General of Police (IGP),Police Service Commission (PSC),Office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Investigation, Office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police(AIG) Zone 2, National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC) and other  concerned agencies in the country.

The Petition Letter further alleged that Muhammed Junaid was invited by the team in furtherance of the team ongoing extortion on the subject matter.

The petition therefore called on the Police and concerned authorities in the country to set up an independent panel of investigation to unravel the hanky- panky of the SARS on the issue without delaying.