Man alleges police kidnapped him in Port-Harcourt; calls for justice
A Nigerian man identified as Sir Henry alleges that he was kidnapped by men from the Rivers State Police Command on Friday, July 28, near Mercy Land Junction in Port-Harcourt, and forcibly taken towards NTA Road, recounting his harrowing experience on social media.
According to Sir Henry’s detailed narration, the incident occurred when he was driving to purchase fuel in his car.
He claimed that the police officers stopped his vehicle and proceeded to conduct a thorough inspection. During the search, they found a supply of medicines in his possession.
Sir Henry, who holds an identity card confirming his employment with a pharmaceutical company, explained that the medicines were over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Despite presenting his identification and explaining his legitimate reason for having the medicines, the officers remained unsatisfied.
The situation took a terrifying turn as the officers allegedly coerced Sir Henry into accompanying them to various locations while repeatedly issuing threats.
They allegedly demanded that he “settle” them or face the prospect of being taken to the police station and locked up.
Overwhelmed by the traumatic experience, Sir Henry turned to social media to share his ordeal and seek justice for the unjust treatment he endured at the hands of the Rivers State Police Command.
In his words;
“I have been in trauma and shock since I got kidnapped on Friday by Men of the Nigerian police. I went out to get Fuel around East west road (PH), this was around Mercy land Junction and so I proceeded to use the Obirikwere fly over to turn and head towards NTA road, that was when I got stopped by a group of police officers who were on stop and search on the fly over, note that their clothes had no name tags, I stopped and I was asked to get down from the car which I did, they asked to see the content of my car boot Which I obliged and even tendered my ID card to show I work with a pharmaceutical company and had the right to be in possession of drugs(Nafdac registered drugs,OTC drugs).
They were not satisfied and wanted to search my car too of which I reminded them that It has to be done one at a time, because I have been a victim of police men planting stuffs in cars, I don’t know why my concern made them nervous and they turned to me and started shouting at me, called me a yahoo boy, called me a criminal and all what not, I felt a sharp slap at the back of my head from another officer and before I knew what was happening I was in cuffs and pushed into the back seat of my car, some cars passed by and saw all this but no one wanted to come to my rescue as they drove off with me.
They headed towards rumuokoro and then to Eliozu, all this while they said I would see hell at their station unless I settle, my phone was taken, they proceeded to make me unlock my phone and started going through it, went through my alerts and all, my social Media pages and everything, placed my phone on airplane mode and asked me to make transfer to them to the tune of 1million naira, I couldn’t do this because my main account had no app or atm or means of withdrawal except through the banking hall which I explained To them, all this started around 7pm and I was been driven around the whole of Ph even to akpajio where they hailed some of their colleagues and then proceeded to label me a criminal; saying they found a pistol in my boot.
These officers humiliated me and took cash of 126k I had in my car after noticing I couldn’t make transfer anyhow at all, I was left around Onne road with my car and told to do thanksgiving cos they would have wasted me.. I was left there around 2am and had to drive myself home from there in Shock and disbelief, I had no means of identifying the officers, the follow up vehicles were private cars with no plate numbers and this shows how subtle kidnaps are happening in this town by those meant to protect us.. I was encouraged to share this so PH twitter and also the police heads in Port-harcourt would look into this.. I lost cash Yes, but my life was preserved.. also two other boys and a girl were also in the other vehicle and only God knows their fate.. This happened on 28th July 2023.”
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