NDLEA allegedly arrests corps member over pain medication, forced to pay ₦150K

A corps member has reportedly been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA after purchasing medication for a leg injury sustained during a football match.

The officers allegedly demanded ₦150,000 to secure his release.

The incident was brought to light by the victim’s brother, who shared a detailed account on X (formerly Twitter).

According to his post, the corps member suffered an injury while playing football in Calabar and visited a pharmacy to get pain relief medication.

However, on his way back, NDLEA officers searched his bag, found the drugs, and arrested him.

The victim was reportedly handcuffed and held at a location for three hours while the officers insisted on receiving ₦150,000 for his release, refusing to accept a bank transfer.

Instead, they allegedly took him to a POS center to withdraw the cash.

The post also noted that the arrested corps member was unaware that the medication he had purchased was classified as a controlled drug.

The full account shared by the victim’s brother read:  

“My brother played football in Calabar and got injured during the game. He went to a chemist, where he was given some tablets. On his way back today, @ndlea_nigeria officers searched his bag, found the tablets, and claimed one was a controlled drug. So they took him!”

“We had to pay ₦150K to bail him out. These @ndlea_nigeria officers handcuffed him and even asked the driver of the Onitsha South bus he boarded to leave him behind. He was stranded for three hours while we struggled to raise the funds.”

“They refused a bank transfer and instead took him to a POS center. The only reason they settled for ₦150K was because his Opay account couldn’t withdraw more in a day.”

“And guess what? He was wearing his NYSC cap and had his ID card on him the whole time. Right now, he’s still trying to reach Awka. The last time he called, he was in Ugep, heading to Abakaliki.”

“This is pure extortion and abuse of power. No one should have to go through this, especially not an innocent corps member. We need to hold these officers accountable. If anyone knows the best way to take legal action or report this, please reach out.”

Following the post, concerned Nigerians flooded the comment section, expressing outrage over the alleged extortion and calling for accountability from the NDLEA.

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