Policemen and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) at the Ikeja roundabout, close to the Conoil Petrol Station oppoite the gate of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (NASUTH), are in the habit of bullying motorists and extorting money from them for minor traffic offences.

On Friday, May 18, SaharaReporters’ camera caught a policeman, with the name tag S.A. Kareem, extorting a tricycle rider he arrested for breaking a supposed traffic rule.

The commercial tricycle rider, who picked four passengers from Ikeja Bus stop, was heading to the Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA) when he ran into traffic holdup on Kodeosh Street, just before the road leading to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

One of his passengers took advantage of the snarl to hop off the tricycle, without the rider's knowledge.

Immediately, she disembarked from the tricycle, a police officer climbed in, ordering the rider to move forward and park by the police patrol van stationed by the roundabout.

“Officer what did I do?” asked the rider.

The policeman ignored the question, insteda proceeding to wrest the tricycle key from the rider and hand it over to Kareem, who appeared the most senior officer around, before returning to arrest more “offenders”.

The other two passengers and the woman, who seemingly caused the arrest, begged on behalf of the rider. However, “Commander”, as Kareem was referred to, remained unmoved initially.

After few minutes, he said he had pardoned the rider, but insisted he would not release his tricycle immediately.

“I have forgiven him,” he said, “but you people won’t just beg me and expect that I give him his Keke (tricycle) back. You should go. I will consider him. I accept your plea, but I won’t just release him.”

Kareem eventually collected N700 from the rider after a protracted haggling process.

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