Men of Kwara State Police Command have arrested one young man, Ibrahim Quadri, who was allegedly trying to blackmail the operatives in a trending video that he was arrested because of his dreadlocks and that they extorted money from him.
In a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi Ajayi and made available to the newsmen in Ilorin, the police said, “Contrary to the content of a video circulating on some social media platform that policemen in Ilorin arrested a young man because of wearing dreadlocks and extorted of his money by the police officers in question,
“The command wishes to state that the character in the video whose real identity is Ibrahim Quadri aged 25 years was one of the occupants of a commercial Keke Napep that was stopped for routine search at Maraba area of Ilorin yesterday 1/11/2022 by police officers attached to the Anti-cult unit of the Command.
“It was reported that immediately the Keke was flagged down the said Ibrahim jumped down from the tricycle and started raising alarm that it was because of his look that made the police to stop the tricycle, his attempt at preventing the operatives from performing their duty by shouting attracted passersby while at the same time was recording the incident, this prompted one of the policemen to bring out his phone and also started to record the scene, the moment the suspect noticed he was equally being recorded he ran away abandoning his bag containing some documents and a Nokia Phone.
“No sooner did he leave, that he uploaded a video stating that he was stopped because he was having dreadlocks and was extorted of his money and ATM card.
“Surprisingly, this morning the subject came to the police begging for forgiveness after the whole drama and most painfully the wrong information he circulated on social media to disparage the Force,” he said.
He was, however, interrogated, and he confirmed that no money was taken from him by the policemen and that it was his friend who uploaded the video on social media.
He has been charged to court for offences of Obstructing police officers from performing their lawful duties, Injurious falsehood and belonging to a gang of thieves.
The command, therefore, advised the citizens, especially the youth to always obey the law and never hide under the unrestricted access to social media to blackmail police officers performing their lawful duties.
The Command’s spokesman said the police is entitled to protect lives and property as well as prevent and detect crimes using lawful means, which the policemen in this instance had done.
