Police officers attached to the Area H Command in Ogudu, Lagos State, have returned ₦2.2 million to a couple after allegedly extorting a total of $2,000 (about ₦3.3 million) from them during a wrongful arrest.
Newsonspot reports that according to an investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), the incident occurred in the early hours of December 18, 2025, when the couple was travelling out of Lagos. Police officers reportedly stopped them before 6 a.m., profiled the man, seized his phones, and took both husband and wife to the Ogudu Police Station.
At the station, the woman, who was pregnant, was asked to wait outside while the man was taken in and allegedly forced to write an incriminating statement without a lawyer present. The officers initially demanded $5,000 in USDT but later settled for $2,000, which was transferred to a wallet address provided by the police. The officers reportedly deleted traces of the transaction, but a copy was retained because the transfer was made from a third-party wallet.
A friend of the couple, identified as Abiodun Alabi (not real name), reported the incident to the Police Complaints Response Unit (CRU) the same day. This led to contact with the Station Officer of Area H Command, Olumide Jegede.
On December 23, 2025, the couple and their friend visited the police station and identified the officers involved. During discussions, the officers allegedly tried to justify their actions and later threatened to involve the cybercrimes unit to accuse the man of fraud.
Despite the victims insisting on a full refund, the police reportedly admitted that the money had been shared among several officers. They agreed to return only ₦2.3 million, later reducing it to ₦2.2 million.
As of Wednesday, ₦2.2 million had been returned in parts, with police officials reportedly requesting to keep the remaining ₦1.1 million, claiming it had already been shared. When contacted on Saturday, Mr. Jegede declined to comment but asked the journalist to visit his office on Monday for further follow-up.
