Three traditional worshippers identified as – Adejuwon Idowu, Akanbi Samuel, and Adetayo Oyelami, have accused officers of the state police command of extortion.
The traditionalists said they were arrested, and tagged ritualists for being in possession of cowries, and palm kernel.
Three traditional worshippers identified as – Adejuwon Idowu, Akanbi Samuel, and Adetayo Oyelami, have accused officers of the state police command of extortion.
The traditionalists said the policemen extorted them of a sum of ₦258,000 for being in possession of a bowl containing cowries and palm kernel.
According to one of the victims, Idowu, the incident happened on Saturday, March 2, 2024, in the Ijegun area of Lagos State.
The traditionalists were said to be driving along the Ikotun-Ijegun road when the officers attached to the state Commissioner of Police Tactical Unit allegedly flagged them down for a stop and search.
Adejuwon said the police searched their car and found a white bowl containing cowries and palm kernel which one of them just took delivery of from his father, adding that the officers, after seeing this, tagged them as ritualists and took them to the Ijegun Oja Police Station where they were allegedly made to pay the sum of ₦258,000.
His words: “One of us whose father is a traditionalist based in Osun State sent a white bowl containing cowries and palm kernel to him in Lagos. We collected them around 5 pm and were on our way home when the officers stopped us.
They searched the vehicle and did not find anything except the bowl which was in a white nylon. After explaining how we came about it to them, they immediately tagged us as ritualists.
“When they asked us to give them the bowl, my friend initially declined and told them it was not meant to be opened as instructed by his father but had to be opened for them to see to prove it was not an exhibit. But they later forcefully collected it from us.”
Oyelami, who equally gave an account of what transpired, stated that the police officers handcuffed the three of them and took them to the station along the Ijagemo area of the community.
He claimed that they were detained for over four hours, while the officers threatened to lock them up before they later demanded money from them.
