A university student working as a dispatch rider narrowly escaped jungle justice in Makoko after police allegedly extorted him and falsely accused him of theft, but church elders intervened to save his life.
A 400-level student of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Janta Kofi, narrowly escaped death by jungle justice on Sunday after two policemen from Makoko Police Station in Lagos allegedly framed him as a thief for refusing to pay a bribe.
Kofi, who works as a dispatch rider, told FIJ that his ordeal began on August 23 when officers seized his motorcycle around 11:45 p.m. despite finding nothing incriminating. He claimed the policemen demanded up to ₦20,000 for its release, which he could not afford. “He then said he was a two-star officer who had to bail his own bike… He claimed he could easily ask me for ₦60,000. I told him I couldn’t afford it,” Kofi recalled.
When he returned to the station on Sunday, Kofi alleged he was assaulted and insulted with ethnic slurs before fleeing. The officers pursued him, shouting “Thief! Thief!” to alert passersby. “I swear, I could’ve died right there. Thank God the Celestial Church was nearby,” he said.
Inside the church, elders intervened, questioning the policemen’s actions. One reportedly asked, “Why would you shout ‘thief’ if you already had his bike? That’s dangerous.” The matter was eventually settled, and Kofi retrieved his motorcycle, though parts had been damaged.
The officer-in-charge of Makoko Police Station denied extorting Kofi, insisting, “How is this a matter of jungle justice? The church elders found him rude… They then pleaded with me to let him go, which I did without receiving a dime.”
The incident highlights ongoing complaints of extortion and abuse of power by police officers in Lagos communities.