Is the Nigerian Police Your Friend?...My one-way experience
Well this was my own one-way experience. Ok, I wasn't too familiar with the area, and I had to drive out from that place as early as 5am in the morning to pick someone up from the Airport. In fact that was the main reason I passed the night in that area. To be able to help the person make his 8am meeting the same morning he was to arrive from London on an Air Maroc connected flight. I offered to help so I knew I had to deliver. Because he must have shelved all alternative plans, hoping I was coming to pick him up.
Ok to cut the long story short, driving out from Bariga axis through UNILAG gate, I didn't know I was supposed to simply drive straight down...I had never driven by myself through that axis at night so I just followed the yellow buses...not knowing they were going to Sabo not Jibowu. When I realized I followed the wrong route I simply turned straight back and came towards the road I left; not knowing I was violating a one-way. And our Police friends were in the corner waiting for preys...I mean as early as 5:45am...
So I got to the junction, with my headlamps on, and the police hiding on the corner without me knowing. I stayed for 2-3 minutes trying to figure out whether to take the right or left turn! Before I could decide, a fully loaded Police van had zoomed to my front with sirens blaring...Shouts of ''park there, park there''... ''who are you'' ''Dont move...come down'' followed. For a minute I was shocked and even scared...but as one of them approached me and asked me to open the door, I could then Guess, perhaps I broke a rule. So I asked him ''Oga how far...wetting happen... So he told me ''so you dont know what you did...you mean you dont know...'', ''you dont know this place is one-way''...We argued back and forth and eventually I was parked. And they left me there to catch more victims...they parked 3 more cars and 1 by 1 they started releasing them. So I approached one of them and they gave me two options, go to the headquarter in Alausa with them and pay 10,000 Naira or settle myself here! So I brought out all I had on me, 800 Naira. And they rejected it. And asked me to go to the atm and bring good money...well luckily for us all a bank wasn't too far, I withdrew some money and brought out 2k... they still rejected it and asked me to add the 800 Naira i offered them before. Well I did... why wont I, it was already past 6:30 and I had to get going.
One thing I noticed was; they kept speaking straight English while the intimidation lasted. But the moment we agreed a deal...they came down to pidgin. Suddenly became reasonable and nice. They actually helped me stop a bike man and explained to Him I was going to the International Airport, he should show me how to link Ikorodu Road to link Maryland. Oh yeah the Police became my friend, but the price was N2,800 Naira. Rubbish.
This Police that sees you as a potential prey...a customer...cannot be your friend.