Nigerian Navy officers disarmed a policeman during an illegal raid in Abuja on Friday, according to reports from SaharaReporters.
The incident involved officers attached to the Iddo Police Station, who lost their service rifle while conducting unauthorized searches of homes and schools in the Bassa area of the Federal Capital Territory.
Witnesses reported that the police were randomly detaining individuals. “They would park in front of homes, wait for people to come out, and then force them into their buses,” a source revealed.
During the raid, the police encountered naval personnel and attempted to compel them to enter their vehicle. When one officer questioned the situation, he was slapped, leading to the naval officers disarming him and threatening him with his own weapon. They subsequently left with the AK-47 and ammunition. Although police authorities have issued an apology, it remains unclear if the firearm has been recovered.
Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Solomon Majit confirmed the incident but insisted that his officers were not engaged in an illegal raid. “It’s true, but the gun has been recovered. We were combing the area due to the security situation in the FCT,” he stated.
Reports indicate that officers from the Iddo station had illegally arrested over 20 individuals under the pretense of security operations. Victims were reportedly taken from in front of their homes and schools on Friday evening, treated like criminals, and handcuffed.
“I just stepped out of my house when I saw a bus parked beside me. Before I knew it, they forced me to enter the bus. When I asked what I had done, one of the officers slapped me,” recounted one victim.
Others shared similar experiences, stating that the police arrested multiple individuals in the same manner and later extorted them for bail. “We were all held in a cell until the next morning. Imagine taking N50,000 from over 20 people—that’s a million Naira,” one detainee said. Another source added, “I was once arrested at 8 PM and forced to pay N50,000 for my release. We were beaten and coerced into paying for our bail.”
