A Nigerian painter has narrated how he was allegedly harassed and extorted by police officers during a stop-and-search operation, after being wrongly labelled a cultist due to an axe sticker on his phone and a photo of himself in a blue and yellow outfit.
The incident was detailed in a post shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where the painter recounted his ordeal while heading to a job location.
According to him, the police stopped the vehicle he had ordered due to the number of goods he was transporting.
He claimed their only reason for stopping him was because he was using an iPhone and had ordered a ride.
He stated that after denying he was a "Yahoo boy" when questioned, the officers demanded to check his phone. Though initially hesitant, he complied out of fear, noting that the officers were armed.
The painter said the police combed through his chats with clients and even checked his Gmail for bank transactions, all under the guise of confirming the legitimacy of his business.
During the search, they came across a chat with a friend who had sent him an axe sticker, which prompted them to accuse him of being a cultist.
He further revealed that the officers found a picture of him wearing a blue and yellow outfit and immediately labelled him "Alora," a term associated with a specific cult group, based on the color combination.
Despite denying all allegations, the police allegedly threatened to take him to the station and demanded ₦100,000 to let him go.
His full statement reads in part:
"Today, Nigeria almost happened to me. Because my goods were too much, I ordered a ride from my place to my destination, and on our way, police stopped us."
"The only reason they stopped us was because we owned an iPhone and ordered a ride. They asked if I'm a Yahoo boy. I said no, but they said I'm lying and wanted to check my phone."
"After checking, they discovered I'm a painter. They went through my Gmail, my transactions, and WhatsApp. They saw that my friend sent me an axe sticker and said I'm a cultist."
"They also saw a picture of me in yellow and blue and said I'm Alora. They said they didn't want to take me to the station and demanded ₦100,000."
The post quickly gained attention online, with many concerned Nigerians flooding the comment section to express their outrage and call for accountability.
See some reactions below:
@alex2j2: "Criminals in uniform with licensed guns."
@bleax2man: "If I talk. Shallow minded people will come here and say I'm defending Yahoo. You think efcc and police will stop hunting youths even every youths stop Yahoo? They'll start picking another offense to extort you."
@rwg6cdcpjx: "You're a fool to allow them search your phone."
@JavaKairo: "Guys make una Dey beat dem once Dey ask of phones."
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