The Oyo State Police Command has denied detaining and charging a student to court over an outstanding N8,000 debt. According to the police, the criminal case against the student arose from allegations of assault and malicious damage. The police were reacting to a social media publication claiming the student was detained and charged to court over the debt.
The student had approached a female Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator to collect N23,000 in cash, with the intention of transferring the same amount to her through a PoS transaction. However, he allegedly left without making the transfer or returning the cash. The police said he later refunded N15,000, leaving an outstanding balance of N8,000, which he allegedly refused to pay.
The dispute escalated on September 8, when the suspect allegedly went to the complainant’s residence at about 10:00 p.m., assaulted her and damaged her Airtel SIM registration machine, valued at N177,000. Members of the community intervened in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but the effort failed, after which the suspect and the complainant were taken to the police station by vigilantes.
The police said officers listened to both parties and made another attempt to settle the matter amicably, but the complainant insisted on pursuing the case in court. The suspect was charged to court for assault and malicious damage, and not for the outstanding N8,000. The court granted the suspect bail after his arraignment, but he was subsequently remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre because he was unable to immediately meet the bail conditions.
The deceased was later released after meeting the conditions, the police said. On his reported death, the command cautioned against drawing a direct connection between the police case and the death without verified facts establishing such a link. The circumstances surrounding the death should be determined through appropriate investigation and established evidence.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Police Command warned its personnel against extorting commercial drivers and tricycle operators, following complaints of alleged unlawful payments during stop-and-search operations. The warning was issued during an engagement with transport stakeholders at Atakpa Police Division, Calabar.
The Commissioner of Police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, represented by the Divisional Police Officer of Atakpa Police Division, CSP Azenda Peter, said no police officer was authorised to demand, solicit or compel motorists or riders to make payments during stop-and-search operations or other lawful duties.
Key points
- The Oyo State Police Command denied detaining a student over an outstanding N8,000 debt.
- The case against the student arose from allegations of assault and malicious damage.
- The Cross River State Police Command warned its personnel against extorting commercial drivers and tricycle operators.
