Student of Offa Polytechnic Allegedly Extorted ₦200,000 by Police for Refusing Phone Search

A student of the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, has reportedly been extorted of ₦200,000 by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force after he declined to unlock his phone during a stop on his way home.

The incident came to light through a post shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by user @oyintom22. 

According to the report, the student, identified as Taiwo Kayode Taye, was traveling from Offa to Osogbo when he was stopped by officers from the Anti-Cultism Unit in Erin-Ile. Despite asserting his rights, Taiwo was allegedly detained at the Ijagbo Police Division around noon after he refused to give the officers access to his phone. 

Later that day, he was transferred to the State CID Anti-Cultism Department at GRA, Ilorin, where he remained until past 5 p.m. During his detention, officers allegedly forced him to unlock his phone using Face ID and compelled him to transfer ₦200,000 to a bank account registered under the name Lucy Akor. 

Taiwo Kayode Taye, a student of Federal Polytechnic, Offa, was travelling to Osogbo yesterday when officers from the Anti-Cultism Unit stopped him at Erin-Ile. They demanded to check his phone, which he refused. Consequently, they took him to Ijagbo Police Division around 12 PM, where he was detained until after 5 PM. Later, the officers moved him to the State CID Anti-Cultism Department at GRA, Ilorin. 

Without any charges or a statement, they forced him to unlock his bank account using Face ID and coerced him into transferring ₦200,000 to an account belonging to Lucy Akor. What kind of country allows this? Please address this injustice.” The post tagged the Nigeria Police Force and its Complaint Response Unit, calling for accountability and immediate investigation.