Policemen Allegedly Extort N86,700 From Cross River University Students After Breaking Into Hostel At Night

A group of allegedly corrupt policemen, reportedly led by Otobong Stephen from the Cross River State Police Command, have arrested two siblings, both students of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), and extorted ₦86,700 from them on charges of committing an offense.

The students identified as Sarah Manyi Ezekiel, 20, and a second year student of Department of Journalism and Media Studies and her sister (18), according to a post by human rights activist and journalist, Agba Jalingo, on his Facebook page, were illegally arrested by the policemen in their house. 

The policemen had broken into the house to arrest them.

According to the victims, the incident happened on Sunday when the policemen were reportedly responding to a petition from a school that their landlord's daughter stole chairs from the school. 

However, on breaking into the compound and taking the landlord and the son, the rogue policemen decided to mop up other co-tenants and carry them along to collect money.

"Because once you pay, you are freed to go and nothing else."

However, citing the narration of Mr Cornelius Ellah, who is Head of Department of Journalism and Media Studies in the university, Agba said the policemen detained the siblings for more than 12hours and refused the one on menstrual cycle from cleaning herself and changing clothes until the N86,700 was extorted from them as bail. 

The money, according to him, was transferred to an account the policemen provided showing one Dorathy Uba Okobi as the account holder.

Describing this as a great injustice, the activist, Agba Jalingo quoted a witness who said, "I find it necessary to publicly report that Sarah Manyi Ezekiel, a Year 2 student of Department of Journalism and Media Studies UNICROSS and her sister, got illegitimately arrested and detained for an offense that they didn't commit. 

"Here is an excerpt of what Sarah told me: "It was around 1am on Sunday that someone came to our apartment and knocked on our door. The person shouted 'open the door' and I asked who is that? The man said 'we are Policemen'. I was alarmed because at that time of the night, even thieves can pretend to be Policemen' and ask us to open our door. I told the person that I can't open the door. Before we knew what was happening, they broke the door because it is a wooden door and we don't have a protector.

"They came inside and said 'you are under arrest'. They didn't even show us their identity cards. When I asked them why we were under arrest', one of them said 'when you get to the station, you will know'. I told them that we can't accompany them to the station because we have not committed any offense. They forcefully collected our phones and said we can't make calls. 

"One of them held a cutlass and brought it close to my face and asked me to dress up. We had to quickly dress up out of fear. The Policemen also arrested our neighbours who live in our compound. They took us to their station (State CID), and detained us in a cell until the next day around 6pm.

"My sister was in her period but they refused to give her water to take her bath. I was begging them to at least allow us to make a statement or make a phone call. One of them said the only way they can give my sister water to bathe or allow her to change is if I agree to bail us. That was how I said I want to bail my sister and I. They now gave her water to bathe and gave her pad to change.

"After that, the man was forcing me to make a statement that I was involved in stealing and conspiracy. I told them that I can't write such a thing because I have never stolen anything and I have no idea of any theft. They said that our landlord's son is a thief. I refused to write anything because I don't know anything about the character of our landlord's son.

"They now asked one man to write a statement for us. I don't even know what the man wrote. That was when they said I should bail myself and my sister. They asked me to do a transfer of eighty six thousand seven hundred naira to their account. They have an account where they transfer money to. I transferred the money to them before we were released."

"Sarah gave me the phone number of the Policeman that masterminded their arrest. I attempted to call him and get his response to Sarah's story but he didn't answer my calls. Here is his phone number: 08060966603. Truecaller identified him as Otobong Sunday.

"Sarah disclosed that she feels traumatised and unable to study as effectively as she should. Consequently, I appeal to members of the public, especially human rights activists, to assist in seeking redress for her and her sister and to assist in bringing Otobong Sunday to book." 

Agba Jalingo, however, disclosed that the matter was reported to the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Austin Grimmah, who has scheduled to meet the victims in his office.

Expressing optimism that justice would be served, Agba said that "Mr. Ellah will be accompanying his two students to the CP and I trust that the CP will address this thoroughly. He has previously responded very sternly with several of our complaints and I think that he won't handle this differently.

"Criminal Police personnel should also realise that chances of escaping with this sort of impunity are slimming out.

"And for Mr Otobong Stephen, if you like take your call, if you like don't take the call, but you see that money, you go vomit am today. There is no hiding place for bad eggs like you. I trust the CP. You will sleep in that same cell where you put those two smallie. For your uniform, you may lose it! God save you."