Our Encounter with Sergeant Robert and His Patrol Team

We finished strategic meeting with the Programme Director at about 5: 30 pm. I decided to stay back till 8:30pm to develop content for my blog .My colleague, Yinka, was also around and essentially waiting for me so that we could leave the office together. At exactly 8:15pm, I had completed what I was writing and I informed him of my readiness to leave. We entered his car and started our journey home. There was heavy traffic so we passed through Oba Akran, Ikeja, Lagos

We had assignment to do a recce at an event centre in Island, Lagos the following day. We engaged in conversation to finalise our plan and strategies for the activitieswhile Yinka was driving.

We got to the front of First Bank not far from Wahum company ltd. There was a traffic light and the light showed red so we had to wait. The light turned green and Yinka zoomed off. We just noticed that a vehicle was pursuing us vehemently and Yinka said he saw a gun. I looked back and saw police’s vehicle. I told him to apply the break and park. Behold! there were five fully armed policemen.

They accused us of zooming off while the light was on red. I chuckled. Yinka engaged them in serious argument. I tried to calm him down. It was night already and I am always afraid of a black man in a black dress within a “black” area. I have heard stories about policemen activities at night and I did not want us to be a victim of circumstance. It was 9:30 pm.

They ordered a policeman to enter the vehicle with us. They drove at the front while we followed. We made a U-turn and drove into the road that leads to wahum. I was wondering where they were leading us. I asked the policeman different questions but he turned “deaf” and “dumb”.

I put a call to my family friend, who has mobile contact of a Divisional Police Officer, unfortunately, he told me DPO had travelled to the United Kingdom for a course. However, I tried to inform him of our movement in case of any issue.

We got to a street after several navigations. The policeman directed us to a corner and told us to park. Yinka did and we came down to meet our “hunters”. They were patrol team from XX Divisional Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos. I expected them to lead us into the police station but they stayed outside while the senior officer remained in the vehicle giving command.

They asked for the vehicle documents, Yinka produced everything. They demanded the driver’s licence, Yinka gave them the print out copy for the licence renewal. The policemen looked at the paper with dismay and asked for the date of registration and capturing. We told them it was on the paper. Yinka refused to show them the date. The senior man having understood the knowledge gap shouted “he was arrested for violating traffic light and not driver’s licence”.

The senior man asked if they had collected the car key from Yinka, they said no. They demanded the key. I simply reply give us the register for impounded vehicle. They echoed in anger “we do not do that here my friend”. “You give us the key or you sleep inside your car”. Yinka replied “if I give you the key and I come tomorrow for the vehicle what will be the evidence of impoundment”? A man said “ask of Sergeant Robert!” “We are policemen and we are not here to play. That is the police station and this is police’s vehicle”.

I checked my time, it was 10:30 pm. I called Yinka to do the norm as we need the car for official duty the following day. Also, we are in political dispensation and no one can guarantee our safety. We started the bargaining! They said 5,000 Naira. Yinka gave me the shock of my life! He said that would be divided by 100 years of Nigeria i.e. we will only pay 500 Naira for security’s sake.

Robert answered “Oga, let these people go as they are not ready to cooperate oooo and we still have to make some money tonight oooo, no matter how late”. Yinka gave them the 500 naira and the battle was over.