A commercial minibus towed by officers of the Owutu Police Station in the Ikorodu area of Lagos after it broke down overnight has been released after FIJ’s report.

Cyril Nwobu, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the station, ordered the release of the vehicle to Sunday Agbeyi, the owner, on Wednesday.

However, he was told to go operate the vehicle for a while, then come back to pay N5000 towing fine when he has made some money, as against the N50,000 initially demanded by the Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO).

On Tuesday, Agbeyi’s hired driver escaped an imminent accident after the steering rack of the bus suddenly failed along Isawo Road in Ikorodu. The driver decided to park the faulty bus by the roadside with the intention to fix it the following day.

When Agbeyi returned the following morning, around 6:30 am, to repair the faulty vehicle, a police officer had towed it into their station on the order of the DTO.

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“I didn’t believe police officers could be that cooperative. It appears like the DPO was trying to be friendly by all means,” says Agbeyi after his bus was released.

“I saw the rage in the eyes of the police officers in the station but the DPO had categorically told me not to respond to any other agitation.”

He said the extortionate officers who wrongfully towed his vehicle were angry, wondering how he met the FIJ reporter who raised the alarm.

“The police officers were wondering how I knew you people (FIJ) that assisted me to easily get my bus out,” he recalled. “Before I lodged my complaint to you, a policewoman specifically bragged that I can never have anyone like her in my whole family but to her surprise, FIJ came through.”

After the story, FIJ received multiple complaints about how officers attached to the Owutu Police Station milk unsuspecting motorists driving along the Asolo-Isawo Road.