I am forever indebted to @segalink for his prompt response to my SOS Call. I could go on singing his praises forever, but that wouldn’t be enough to express my gratitude!
Last week Monday, my husband and I were traveling to the East from Lagos ...as we were making our way down Ore-Benin route just a little over 9am in the morning, this group of notorious SARS operatives accosted us, searched our car...
demanded that we unlock our phones which we did just to avoid any argument. While going through my husband’s WhatsApp messages they zeroed in on one where he was discussing a genuine business proposal with a friend.
That was the beginning of our nightmare, they placed him under arrest on trumped-up charges of cultism, kidnapping, fraud and armed robbery just like that. They accused me of accessory after the fact. Confiscated our phones, turning down our numerous requests
to at least speak to our family. Mind you, this was actually happening in the middle of nowhere.
They demanded #200k from us if they are to let us continue with our journey, Of course we vehemently refused insisting on our innocence. It was at this stage that they decided to up the ante by threatening to take us to where we will be “dealt with” according to one of them.
After several unsuccessful calls to what I presume to be some of their accomplices who were going to play the role of interrogators, they finally settled for IGP IRT office in Benin City. Told us one last time, it’d be better if we settle with them rather than going to the
the “dreaded” station. We insisted once again we are innocent of all those charges and besides, we can’t even afford to give them that amount of money.
All hell broke loose when we got to the station, four of the IGP IRT officers pounced on my husband trying to force him to admit to a crime he did not commit. Three of them came in to the room with cutlass and threatened to cut him to pieces because he stood up for himself.
They took him to an uncompleted building behind the station and tried to intimidate, force him to make video a confession. One of the interrogator told him barefaced that they’ll destroy his career.
They confiscated his passport, foreign ID card and told him he’ll never return back to his job overseas again as they’re going to place his name on Interpol wanted list, call his employer and make them aware of his trumped-up charges in Nigeria.
I was subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation. They tried to force me to pen a statement admitting that my husband is guilty of all he was been accused of.
After about 10hrs in detention and all that back and forth with them, the “lead” interrogator then said “the only way you guys are leaving here today is if you are willing to give us #5million.”
It was at this stage that my husband asked if I was under arrest and the officer said no, my husband then demanded to have my phone returned to me, and for whatever reason the officer reluctantly agreed.
