How A UNILAG Student Was Robbed Of His School Fees By SARS Operatives

Adetokunbo, a student of University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka has narrated how he was robbed of his school fees by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Okota area of Lagos.

Ironical as it sounds, here is Tokunbo’s narration

Adetokunbo, a 200- level student of Philosophy, told PUNCH on Tuesday that the four policemen accused him of being a Yahoo boy (Internet fraudster) because he was seen with an iPhone.

He added that the men, who had earlier arrested two other suspects that were in a car, drove them around Lagos roads.

The victim said the men later took the two other suspects to an Automated Teller Machine , where they were forced to withdraw N 100, 000 each before they were dropped off at the Oworonshoki area of the state.

He said he was released on the Third Mainland Bridge after his N 70, 000 school fees was forcefully taken from him .

The victim said he was not pained by the torture , but the fact that he would have to defer his schooling as he could not raise the money again .

He said , “ I am a clothier, but I am also undergoing part time studies at UNILAG. I am in 200 level. To raise part of my school fees , which was already due , I had to sell some of my property.

“I had gone to deliver some clothes to a customer in Okota sometime in April and was returning on a motorcycle around 3pm, when I observed that there was panic in the area . The motorcycle rider that took me almost threw me into a gutter.

“I was still chiding him when the operatives approached me and said I was a Yahoo boy. They held me by the trousers as I protested and struggled with them , asking for my offence . I pushed one of them away. They all descended on me and started hitting me.

“They put me in handcuffs and threw me inside their car . The beating was much . They were slapping me from different sides. I told them to check my ID card or allow me to make a call. They didn ’ t listen to me or even check my phone. They asked who my father was that made me use an iPhone , which they could not afford . ”

Adetokunbo said he observed there were two other men in the car, adding that he gathered that they had just obtained their visas with a plan to travel abroad when they were arrested.
He said the two men , who were also accused of being Internet fraudsters , were searched by the officials and their ATM cards seized.

He said the operatives , who had police-crested guns and handcuffs, tore his shorts while attempting to search his back pocket where he had his wallet.

“They took N 70, 000 from me and took the other guys to the ATM to withdraw money, which I gathered was N 100, 000 each . They released them at Oworonsoki.

“My pain in all of these was not even the beating , but the fact that I had to defer my education because of the money they collected from me, ” he said.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the police authorities had already contacted Adetokunbo, inviting him for a meeting.

He, however , said although he could identify the officers , he was afraid for his life.

“ While I was in the car with them , they pointed a gun to my head and said they could waste me and nothing would happen . I am afraid for my life, but I want those men brought to book . The police can find them in the Gowon Estate , Egbeda, and Okota , Isolo, areas of the state, ” he added.

When contacted , the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous -Cole , said the police had started looking into the case

PUNCH