Youth Rights Campaign says a Lagos woman who lost her savings to a POS fraudster was allegedly extorted, detained and threatened by officers, in a case that has reignited anger over police corruption and the abuse of power.
LAGOS, Nigeria — What should have been a straightforward fraud complaint in Lagos has turned into a much more serious accusation. A POS fraud victim was not only robbed once; she was allegedly robbed again by the very police meant to protect her.
The Youth Rights Campaign says a POS operator swapped Mrs. Jamiu Zainab Kewulere’s ATM card. She was then defrauded on 3 February 2026 at Ojodu Berger.
But instead of a clean recovery process, the group alleges that police officers later turned the matter into a cash machine. They demanded money from both the suspect and the victim. They forced the family to pay what it described as a ransom-like sum for her release.
The organisation specifically named ASP Yakubu of Area F Police Station. They also named ASP Monday Idakwo. The organisation accused them of involvement in a “deeply entrenched pattern of corruption, extortion and collaboration with fraudsters”.
It also alleged that officers demanded ₦100,000 from the suspect. They took an additional 10 per cent from the victim’s recovered funds. A staged video was recorded to conceal the transaction.
According to the YRC, the abuse did not stop there. The group says Mrs. Kewulere was later summoned to Area F Police Station. She was falsely accused, detained, and threatened with imprisonment. This threat was made unless she paid back money allegedly recovered from the fraudster.
It claims her family was compelled to raise and hand over ₦409,000. They did this to secure her freedom. Afterward, ASP Yakubu allegedly kept pressing for another ₦250,000. He labeled it as “investigation fees”.
That allegation, if proven, would be devastating. It would mean the victim of a payment fraud faced a second ordeal. This time, it was within the system that should have shielded her, not squeezed her.
It would also feed a growing public belief that in parts of Lagos policing, the line between lawful investigation and organised extortion has become dangerously blurred.
This is an inference drawn from the pattern of recent complaints, not a proven finding on its own.
The disturbing part is that this story does not arrive as an isolated scandal. In February, FIJ reported that policemen attached to the Zone 2 Command in Lagos were allegedly demanding ₦350,000. They asked for this amount before they would help pursue a fraudster who stole ₦429,000 from a victim.
In March, Punch reported that four elderly men accused operatives of the Morogbo Police Division. They alleged extortion of ₦222,000 from them after a raid and detention.
Just days later, Punch reported that the Lagos State Police Command had opened an investigation into viral allegations. The allegations claimed task force officers were fabricating traffic offences and extorting motorists.
The command said the Commissioner of Police had ordered an immediate probe and promised action based on the outcome.
That sequence matters. It shows that the latest claims land against a backdrop of repeated public outrage. This outrage is over alleged misconduct in Lagos enforcement agencies.
The police command has also publicly stated the purpose of its Complaint Response Units. They are meant to receive and investigate complaints, such as extortion, harassment, illegal detention, and other unethical conduct.
In January, separate reports said the command identified officers in another extortion case. The command ordered refunds. Other coverage quoted the command warning that extortion would not be tolerated.
Against that background, any suggestion that a complaint was ignored or buried will only deepen public suspicion.
That is why the Youth Rights Campaign is pressing for more than words. It wants the immediate arrest of ASP Yakubu and all officers allegedly involved. A full criminal investigation and prosecution are necessary. They demand a refund of the ₦409,000 it says was extorted. A probe into the Complaint Response Unit for possible negligence or cover-up is also needed. The group also wants the alleged POS fraudster arrested.
For Lagos residents, the case cuts deeper than one woman’s ordeal. It highlights a broader crisis of trust. Victims of fraud fear the police almost as much as they fear the scammers.
Every fresh allegation of cash-for-release policing damages the credibility of law enforcement. It hands ammunition to those who argue that extortion has become embedded in the everyday culture of some stations and tactical units.
If the allegations are sustained by evidence, then this is not merely a disciplinary matter. It is a criminal matter, a human rights matter and a public confidence crisis rolled into one.
The quickest way for the authorities to kill the suspicion is simple. They should publish the findings. They need to name the officers and freeze the money trail. Finally, they must prosecute anyone found to have turned a fraud complaint into a profit-making enterprise.
Follow us on our broadcast channels today!
- WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawZ8TbDDmFT1a1Syg46
- Telegram: https://t.me/atlanticpostchannel
- Facebook: https://www.messenger.com/channel/atlanticpostng
