Policemen attached to the Osuntokun police station in the Bodija area of Ibadan, Oyo State, have refused to return two laptops they recovered from men who broke into the house of Favour Etunwoke, a resident of the state and University of Ibadan(UI) Student, on May 12.
The police demanded that Favour paid money to them as compensation for arresting the burglars and recovering his items from another state.
Favour explained to FIJ that he first encountered the burglars in April. The two young men had just moved into his neighbourhood at the time to stay with their father.
As he often kept to himself, he did not know the names of the men. Their first encounter was when they threatened him later that month. Favour was one of several neighbours who caught them attempting to rob their father. After exposing them, the two young men issued a threat he later reported to the police.
“The police told me to ignore it and not bother as they did not expect anything to happen, as it was not serious,” Favour told FIJ.
Favour travelled for personal reasons in May, returned in June and met his house in disarray. Three laptops were missing.
“I went back to the police to report the matter and share with them my belief that those two men were involved as they had threatened me in the past,” Favour said.
“The police told me to bribe them before they would do anything about it. I was disappointed, so I sought the help of UI’s Student Union Government (SUG).
“When the police saw the pressure, they brought out two of my laptops, said they had to travel to get the men and the laptops, so I must bring money to compensate them before I could get my items. They said they could not get the third.”
On July 30, FIJ called Adewale Osifeso, Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO). Osifeso promised to investigate the matter.
Source: FIJ