Just like any other day, I closed from work on 15th July, 2014 and was driving home en route third mainland bridge. I was so pressed that I held myself till around Iyana Oworo. I sighted a policeman on duty and quickly parked my car beside him completely out of the road. I asked him if I could ease myself anywhere around there as I was so pressed but alas, he stressed out his gun at me that I was under arrest for obstructing traffic!!! He then pointed at a wall with an inscription “do not urinate here”. I called his attention to what was written on the wall but he threatened to shoot me if I failed to urinate there so he could hold that against me. I still refused and he asked his colleague to ‘shock’ me. He placed an electronic device on me and I felt electrocuted. Of course the urine seized.

The policeman ordered me to enter my car and started driving me away. I told him I was unlawfully arrested but he shouted me down. He claimed he was going to help me by not taking me to the station if only I cloud ‘cooperate’. I insisted on going to the station with him and we got to LASTMA office at Oshodi by 8pm. The men ordered me and my wife out of the car and called me names from: a fool trying to claim right, bastard, idiot and many other unprintable names for no offense.

After about 30minutes outside their gate with my car parked inside, one of them signaled to me. I approached him and he asked me how much I was willing to pay. So, I swore I was not going to pay a dime-I insisted I did not do anything wrong. He tried to slap me for being too bold but he missed.

I scrolled through my phone wondering if I could get someone who could help and yes, I got a few of them but the expected help didn’t come. So sad!!! The first 3 people I got across to advised I ‘negotiate’ and ‘settle’ with them. I tried to create a true picture of what transpired but one of them said it may not really matter because men of the Nigerian Police are as useless as the letter “p” in psychology. I got across to two highly influential people one of them I knew could get direct access to Lagos governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. Both of them said they were in different meetings but were going to get back to me.

While I was still standing outside of their gate with my wife holding her two hands to her chest in disbelieve, I saw a member of the security committee of the estate where I live. He was arrested for stopping and dropping a colleague by the road side. I narrated my ordeal and he felt so sorry for me, he accepted he may not have been right to stop where he did but expected the men in uniform not to have allowed him park rather than waiting for him to park and then arrest him. I then narrated a case I got a wind of recently to him. A road user asked a LASTMA official for direction only to be arrested by the police on the same road the LASTMA official told him to ply for driving one-way. Those are the excesses of the Nigerian police working in collaboration with LASTMA in Lagos State.

I challenged them openly and I screamed on top of my voice that on whose authority are they dealing with innocent people like common criminals. One of them claimed it was the Lagos governor that gave them the mandate to clear all the cars that are obstructing free flow of movement and use the offenders to generate funds to develop the state! What a way to make money for government. Then I cried!!! I saw Nigeria as a failed state just once again. Extort innocent citizens and charge them for offence(s) they did not commit because you needed the money to develop the state??(I refuse to believe that). Your destruction is nearer than you can imagine. That was my message to them. One of the men came to me around 11:30pm and I shall quote him verbatim, he said “Young man, you don’t prove your right with LASTMA or Police. They are not above you as God is above all of us but you must not argue with them. Just plead and accept fault, pay them something and they will let you go. Give what belongs to Ceaser to him. Who knows maybe this arrest and delay is to even save you from an impending accident in front” I was dazed!!! This same man had also called me names and ordered me to leave the compound or I get shot at.

Eventually, the man who drove me to the station came and said ‘O boy, e be like say you stubborn well oh, in fact you be fool. You see the other man there; we just gave him paper to go and pay N50, 000.00 and the other lawyer claiming right has been asked to pay N250, 000.00. I don’t know why I just want to help you. Go and bring N25, 000.00 and you will go home with your car. Others will go and pay and come back for their cars which they may not even get tomorrow. I became so helpless and I started to ‘negotiate’ with him as I was earlier advised.

So I paid! But before I agreed to pay I cried once again because I remembered I had sworn in God’s name that I was not going to pay them a dime. I failed to realize I was dealing with men of perdition who are destined to be destroyed. It was late at night and so I could not pick anyone of them by name but I can identify all of them. I wish I could get justice because I was unlawfully arrested and tortured and made to go through trauma. Where do I turn to? They claimed to be acting under the instruction of Lagos State governor. If their claim is true then I weep for this nation.

Lagos State residents should please rise up and say an end must come to this mindlessness. Excessive abusive of power of these agents must stop. I have hope and sympathy for APC but I will never associate myself with this madness in Lagos caused by the Police and LASTMA as they claimed they were empowered by governor Fashola. You are in authority today but surely will not be there forever as power is transient. If they excessively act on their own, then I can point to at least three of those men who deserved to be dismissed from the force. I can be tried also for giving bribe but Femi Otedola must first go to jail for same offence. I was wrong but I did what I did to save myself from further trauma because I had had enough and I pray never to experience such again.

They collected the money from me and asked me to wait outside so they could discharge the other two ‘offenders’ before I could be allowed to drive my car out. I was released around 11:50pm and I drove home in the heavy rain.

God bless Lagos and Nigeria!!!
@AsiwajuAdeyemi

http://omojuwa.com/2014/07/i-cried-i-swore-but-i-paid-asiwaju-adeyemi/

This is serious
Leave them cos by the time we have a changed govt by 2015, LASTMA will be a thing of the past.

One case too many

Thank you for your comment so far. The most annoying part is that almost everyone is telling me never to try to argue with police next time. They said just settle them and go your way. Its a shame that everyone has this negative impression about Nigeria Police but we can't do anything to change this. Is Police thruly our friend?

seriously man, I smell lies.
Police/Lastma I know will allow you to pee and then collect mobey from you.

btw, purplesummer na for here u dey hide?

My brother, I clicked at your link to read the whole story and feel your pains.

I went through the same ordeal 6 months ago. I asked a Lastma official for direction and pointed me towards a one-way traffic. Before I knew it, 2 others came out from the side bush with a armed police man. I turned back to look for the previous officer that directed me but he was nowhere to be found. I parted with 5,000 NGN that day.

stinggy: seriously man, I smell lies.
Police/Lastma I know will allow you to pee and then collect mobey from you.

btw, purplesummer na for here u dey hide?

Bros stinggy na so o

But you still paid after all has been said and done

What again is said about both the bribe giver and the bribe taker?

This same thing happened to me last year, at ketu on my way to Ikorodu, i asked a Lastma official for direction, i was immediately arrested, i calmly spoke in Yoruba to the LASTMA guys to chill a bit, i called an aunt who is a a perm sec in Alausa, she got in contact with their boss, their boss called them to ask what went wrong, they immediately lied, right there in my presence, that i passed the BRT lane and they caught me, i couldnt believe my ears, there was no BRT lane close to that place, i was shocked, their oga called me and started toungue lashing me, saying as an indigene of Lagos, i should know better, blah blah blah after all the story, he later ordered them to release me, i still settled the boys with 3k. I felt like i had been scammed. It was a crazy day. LASTMA and police same of the same. no difference

I once paid 40k to those latsma fools. That day was the day I came to Lagos with our company driver to pick up a newly bought truck for our company.....Infact, it was horrible. I've been hearing of latsma, but I never knew they were this mean.

I guess thats what Lagosians reap for voting in APC. They should enjoy it while it lasts

LASTMA are the bully area-boys of yester-years, they have only being made dignified by Fashola with their uniform.

himkers: I once paid 40k to those latsma fools. That day was the day I came to Lagos with our company driver to pick up a newly bought truck for our company.....Infact, it was horrible. I've been hearing of latsma, but I never knew they were this mean.

I guess thats what Lagosians reap for voting in APC. They should enjoy it while it lasts

after paying them 40K, u still call them fools?

feedthenation: LASTMA are the bully area-boys of yester-years, they have only being made dignified by Fashola with their uniform.

That is it. Area boys

Lagos has always been a jungle, was there no fastfood where you could wee around?

PDP is no different; FRSC is extorting Nigerians in the name of new number plate.

The way TIMARIV is dealing with Portharcourt road users!!!!!!!

Upon all una no wan leave Lagos!

Lagos needs to be decongested any way possible.

Bros, I salute your doggedness in the face of overwhelming permissiveness. My only advice is never ever ever argue with a gun-toting Nigerian official. People have been killed for as little as 20naira that cannot buy you a bottle of coke. 20k is too much for them to kill or, at least, maim you.

Meanwhile, LASTMA are a scourge. Those guys are impossible. Trust a "uniformed" man at your peril.

Terrible story. Op, I feel your pain and helplessness. On d day of lagos revolution, I'm very sure the citizens will descend on lastma offices first before visiting police stations.
Though, I don't pray to live in lagos or find myself in such situation, but I swear if I were the one, I would not pay that 25k.