A serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Charles Mbaogu, has accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos of harassment and misconduct, alleging that they tore his NYSC identity card and discarded his cap after he refused to admit to being an internet fraudster, commonly referred to as a “Yahoo boy.”
Mbaogu shared his account on X (formerly Twitter) via his handle @devcharlezen, stating that the incident occurred on Saturday, February 28, at about 10 a.m. He said he and his girlfriend were travelling from Ikeja to Epe when they were stopped by officers attached to the Ladegboye Police Station along Ijede Road in Ikorodu.
According to him, the officers requested his vehicle papers and driver’s licence, which he provided along with other required items, including a first aid box. After verifying that his documents were complete, he alleged that the officers began questioning him about his ethnicity, state of origin and purpose for being in Lagos. He told them he was a serving corps member and presented his NYSC identity card as proof.
Mbaogu claimed the officers questioned the authenticity of the ID card and instructed him to log into the NYSC portal to confirm his status. While attempting to do so, he alleged that one of the officers grabbed his shirt and forcefully took his phone.
He further alleged that the officers went through his private messages and files and, after seeing a conversation with a colleague who works as a programmer, accused him of fraud. Despite denying the allegation, he said he was ordered into a police vehicle and driven around for nearly three hours.
During the drive, he claimed the officers stopped at various locations and pressured him to confess to internet fraud, allegedly promising to “let him go” if he complied. He also alleged that one officer demanded $1,000 from his cryptocurrency account.
Mbaogu stated that his girlfriend was driven separately in his vehicle by another officer, while her phone was allegedly taken. He claimed his NYSC cap was thrown away and his identity card torn during the encounter.
He further alleged that the officers threatened to hand him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but backed down after he insisted he was prepared to appear before the anti-graft agency if he had committed any offence.
Upon eventually arriving at the station, Mbaogu claimed the officers contacted his colleague and the CEO of an application he is developing, accusing him of hacking his colleague’s ATM card. According to him, the colleague clarified that the card details had been voluntarily shared for debugging purposes.
He alleged that he was later asked to write a statement indicating that the issue had been “settled,” which he refused. He also claimed his vehicle sustained scratches and minor damage during the incident, while his girlfriend reportedly suffered bruises after jumping from the moving vehicle out of fear.
Responding to the allegations on X, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the matter was under review.
He wrote: “Sorry you had to experience this. The PPRO Lagos @AbimbolaShotayo is on top of the matter and would give us updates. We can assure you that justice would be served. And thank you for giving all the needed details to commence investigations.”
As of the time of reporting, the Lagos State Police Command had not issued a formal statement on the outcome of the investigation. However, in the comment section, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Adebisi Abimbola, tagged the Lagos Complaint Response Unit to draw attention to the case.
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