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Residents of Ibafo in Ogun State have called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to look into the activities of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ibafo under Ogun State Police Command.
According to concerned residents, premises of the police station in Ibafo has resembled a bustling marketplace.
But instead of trading goods, desperate families were haggling over the freedom of their loved ones.
Innocent citizens, arbitrarily arrested the night before, were being held in a crowded cell, their release dependent on their ability to meet the price of bail—set at a negotiable N50,000 per head.
One of those caught in this web of injustice was a woman who had gone to secure the release of two female food vendors, along with a man who had volunteered to walk them safely to the bus stop.
For their supposed crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the three were detained, crammed into an overcrowded cell with nearly 40 others – men and women together – where they endured the night standing, unable to sit or rest, with only a single basin for urination and defecation.
This disturbing trend of indiscriminate police raids is not new in the area. Reports indicate that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge has built a reputation for deploying officers on arbitrary mass arrests, targeting unsuspecting individuals in streets and shops, only to demand heavy payments for their release.
When the woman attempted to secure the freedom of the three detainees, the police initially demanded N50,000.
After pleading with a female officer in charge of collecting the ‘loot’—described as a fat, dark-complexioned woman in a white T-shirt, she was able to negotiate the amount down to N25,000.
However, this was not before one of the detainees, a young Hausa lady, was forced to sweep the entire police station before being granted her freedom.
An eye witness who works in a shop close to the police station confirmed the act of extortion in the name of payment of bail to our correspondent. “It is a common practice for the police to raid every night here. It is also true that they collect money from victims before they are released. They use big bags to keep the ‘loot’.
Sometimes, they bring in POS agents into the police station for their victims to withdraw cash. It is highly intimidating.
”According to the police, these night raids are part of crime-curbing efforts ordered by the government.
But if the true purpose was to rid the streets of crimes, why were hardworking food vendors targeted instead of actual criminals? Why, after an explanation was given and a relative had come to vouch for them, were they still extorted? Even if there were doubts about their story, should their release have been conditioned on payment instead of proper investigation?
The depths of inhumanity experienced in that cell cannot be overstated. Detaining men and women together overnight under unbearable conditions is not only unethical but also a gross violation of their human rights.
The trauma inflicted on those wrongfully arrested extends beyond physical discomfort—it is a brutal reminder of the systemic corruption that continues to plague Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies.
A closer look at the justification for these raids further exposes the rot within the system.
The officers allegedly complained that the government had not provided them with fuel for their patrols, subtly hinting at why extortion has become a standard practice. If true, it is an alarming revelation of how state-backed policies are fueling abuse rather than addressing crimes.
This particular incident is just one of many, but it sheds light on the unchecked power wielded by corrupt police officials.
The name at the centre of these repeated abuses? CSP Solotan Kassim— the DPO allegedly notorious for leading these raids and fostering a culture of extortion in Ibafo.
The Personal Account of a Victim’s Husband The man whose wife had to negotiate the bail for three detainees shared his firsthand experience.
His wife, unable to carry her phone at the time, had no way to call for immediate help while at the station. She was asked to pay N50,000 but eventually bargained it down to N25,000.
The officers involved made it clear that payment was the only way to secure release, rather than a fair hearing or due process.
The food vendors, who were simply carrying out their daily work of delivering food to a gas station, found themselves arrested without cause.
Due to an accident on the Long Bridge that caused heavy traffic congestion, they had to find alternative means of returning home.
A man from the gas station offered to escort them to Ibafo bus stop for safety, but their act of caution was met with armed police officers forcing them into a patrol bus already packed with other detainees.
This raises serious questions about the legitimacy of police operations at night. If law enforcement genuinely aimed to preventing crimes, should they not have exercised discretion? Should they not have verified their claims rather than rounding them up like common criminals? Should women and men be locked up in the same cell under dehumanising conditions? In the morning, as if their suffering was not enough, one of the women detained was ordered to sweep the police station before her release—an act that further degrades victims and normalises police impunity.
How Police Extortion Has Become Systemic Incidents like these are far too common, and they reflect a larger problem within Nigeria’s policing system. Arbitrary arrests and extortion have become a lucrative business for corrupt officers.
Many police stations operate like private enterprises, where freedom is bought and sold to the highest bidder.
The claim that officers needed money for fuel further underscores the rot in the system—should law enforcement agencies be reliant on bribes to function?
When officers are deployed on “raids,” the primary targets are not criminals but everyday citizens who can be easily bullied into paying for their release.
Those who refuse or cannot afford the cost are left to languish in cells under unbearable conditions. It is a form of modern-day hostage-taking, sanctioned by those in power.
The Need for Urgent Reform
The activities of the Ibafo Police Division must be investigated, and those responsible should be held accountable.
CSP Solotan Kassim, under whose watch these abuses have continued, should be brought to justice.
But beyond individual accountability, there is a need for systemic reform to address the deep-seated corruption within the Nigeria Police Force.
The government must provide adequate funding for police operations to prevent officers from resorting to extortion under the guise of fuel shortages. Independent oversight bodies should be strengthened to investigate cases of police abuse and misconduct.
Citizens must be empowered to report cases of extortion without fear of retaliation.
Officers found guilty of such acts must be dismissed and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.
The public cannot remain silent in the face of such injustice. If we continue to allow innocent citizens to be treated as commodities for police enrichment, the very fabric of society will continue to erode.
The government, human rights organisations, and the media must work together to bring these abuses to light and demand accountability.
What happened in Ibafo is a disgrace to Nigeria’s law enforcement system.
Innocent men and women were subjected to psychological and physical abuse simply because they could not avoid being at a certain place at a certain time.
The police, meant to serve and protect, have instead become predators, hunting for victims to extort.
The business of injustice must end, and it starts with ensuring that those who abuse their power face the full weight of the law.
Nigerians deserve a better treatment. The people of Ibafo deserve justice.
Meanwhile, when our correspondent put a call through to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ibafo-Police, CSP Solotan Kassim, he denied the allegations.
CSP Kassim clarified that his division does conduct what he terms “raiding” operations at night, specifically between 12:00 and 1:00 a.m.
During these checks, if officers come across someone they recognise as a law-abiding citizen, they are allowed to go free. “However, if a person is not known to the officers, they may be processed further and charged to court,” he said.
He emphasised that this practice is a routine procedure in their area and is aimed at deterring criminal behavior.
Addressing the allegations that his officers collect bail money from detainees, Kassim in his denial, described the claims a “pure lie.”
He asserted that no money is collected from anyone for release and maintained that the focus of their operations is to curb crimes like burglary, theft, and even rape, not to extort money from citizens.
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