A human rights organisation, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), says it has uncovered another criminal way being used by the men of Nigeria Police attached to the Muritala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) in collaboration with Task Force officials to extort Uber drivers in Lagos.

In a statement by its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, the group disclosed that the drivers plying the airport route have been facing series of challenges ranging from illegal arrest to extortion and illegal seizure of vehicles, among others, in the hands of security agents, particularly the Police and the Task Force in the area.

A recent victim of the illegal attack, arrest and detention, Mr. Inaughe Nicholas, narrated to CHRSJ how he was maltreated and assaulted by the MMA2 Police officers allegedly led by one Inspector Salau and Inspector Fedilia.

Mr. Nicholas added that the Task Force led by one Bolaji and Coaches orchestrated his illegal arrest and detention by the Police.

Reporting the matter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) through its Executive Secretary in a letter received by the Commission on December 23, 2019, Nicholas, who hails from Edo State, stated that he dropped a passenger and received a call from another customer to come and pick him.

He said that on his way to pick the said customer (passenger), the Task Force stopped him after the exit of the second gate of MMA2 and started beating him without telling him his offence. He said he sustained several body injuries even as his vehicle was seized by the Task Force and detained in their office since then.

Nicholas, who resides at Ibowon Town Mojoda, Epe in Eredo Local Government Area of Lagos State, alleged that the aforementioned Police officers collected N5,200 from him in addition to the N13,500 he was forced to pay for bail.

He also alleged that the FAAN Task Force demanded sum of N150,000 from him before his vehicle would be released.

However, FAAM Spokesperson Henrietta Yakubu, when contacted by News Express, explained that MM2 is within the purview of the concessionaires, Bicourtney, and has nothing to do with FAAN.

Comrade Sulaiman called on the Task Force to release the said vehicle unconditionally to Nicholas because the vehicle was not owned by Nicholas but belongs to one Mr. Oluwatobi Banjoko Gabriel of Sangotedo United Estate in Lagos.

He added that the Nicholas was just employed by Gabriel as driver of the seized vehicle, adding that an Android Infinix Hot 8 phone valued at N45,000 was also seized from Nicholas by the Task Force.

Sulaiman, who doubles as Convener, Save Lagos Group (SLG), submitted that the vehicle was the only source of means of livelihood to the poor Nicholas and his family, adding that failure by the Task Force to release the car to him and as well pay his medical bill, might leave the group (CHRSJ) with no other choice than to seek redress through democratic and legal means available.

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