Published 17th Nov, 2021

By Yakubu Mohammed

Oko Raphael Owogoga, a car dealer, and Emmanuel Owogoga, his brother, have accused officers of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of extorting 100,000 from them.

The duo were arrested alongside Rapheal’s girlfriend, Kakawaye Kira Maria, at House 7, Road 12, Efab Estate, Lokogoma, on Monday.

At about 9 am, Raphael, his brother and his girlfriend were indoors when someone knocked on the door.

He was surprised because he had no appointment with any of his customers, friends or relatives. He had viewed them from inside before opening the door. But their appearance did not depict them as security officials.

“On hearing the knock, I peeped through my door and saw two men standing. The faces were not familiar, but I opened to hear them out,” said Raphael. “After we exchanged pleasantries, they pointed to an apartment, asking If Mr. Clive, my neighbour, was around. I told them to check him, then I dashed back into my apartment.”

Few minutes later, the police officers returned. This time, Raphael was not reluctant to open the door. “As I opened again, it was the same people. They said they could not find Mr Clive.”

HELD FOR ATTEMPTING TO HELP

Raphael brought out his phone to call his neighbour, but it turned a drama. The police officers’ mission was soon made clear. His phone was hijacked from him and the next question was, “What are you doing in this compound?”

At this point, Emmanuel and Maria were pissed about the entire drama before the police forcefully gained entrance into their apartment.

“Even when I told them my fiance was half naked, they could not calm their nerves. They banged into the room and started searching every corner. After their fruitless search, they took my brother’s phone, asking him what he did for a living,” said Raphael.

Emmanuel had just finished his youth service, and to escape idleness, he decided to join Rapheal in his car trade.

The police, still finding ways to indict their victims, started asking them whether they did drugs, cyber fraud or cultism. Raphael stopped responding to them because he could not unearth the reason he was starting a new week with a nightmare.

Soon, one of the officers asked, “Where are your guns?” Raphael stared helplessly at the officers.

As the argument continued, Raphael, Emmanuel and Maria were held, to be taken into detention. While moving the trio out of their compound, the police officers, now five in number, walked round the compound and found a number plate.

They accused their victims of car theft and drove them away in their van.

POLICE GOT SUDDEN EVIDENCE

They arrived at FCID Station in Garki Area 3, Abuja, around 3 pm. The victims were taken to a restaurant within the vicinity of the station for negotiation.

Before whisking them to the station, Raphael told the police officers that his company, Sellfaster.ng Ltd., is a registered firm with CAC. “I told them my office was not far from my house and we agreed that I would take them to my office. But when we got to a junction, the police officers drove to the right, instead of the left that would lead to my office,” he told FIJ.

A check by FIJ showed that Raphael is the director of Sellfaster.ng Ltd., registered on March 15, 2021, with identification number 1769990. It is located at 6, Main Street, Sun City Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja.

“When the issue of plate number came up, the person I thought could own it was my friend whom I had helped to sell his car. When I sold his car, there were many things he gave me to keep for him, and I kept them in my car,” he told FIJ.

100,000 ‘FOR POLICE‘

Around 04:56 pm, police officers, after long hours of negotiation, took Raphael to a nearby POS operator to transfer N100,000. The narration given to the transaction by Raphael was “for police”.

Subsequently, Raphael reached out to a VIO officer who revealed that the plate number belonged to a Peugeot 407 owned by one Bala Ibrahim. He went further to provide Raphael with the contact of the owner.

Raphael called the owner, and he said he sold the car a few years back.

FIJ made several calls to Frank Mba, the Nigeria Police spokesman, but he did not answer them. A text message sent to his phone was also not responded to..

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