Lagos police accused of demanding N300,000 to release woman after friend’s death

Lagos police accused of demanding N300,000 to release woman after friend’s death

Police officers at the Sagamu Road Police Station in Ikorodu, Lagos, have been accused of demanding ₦300,000 to release a woman who reported the sudden death of her male friend to the station.

The woman, whose identity is being withheld, was detained after voluntarily notifying the police that her companion, who was said to be battling high blood pressure, died in the early hours of Tuesday.

Sources told Newstrends that the deceased slumped late Monday night after an intense phone conversation with one of his children. He was rushed to a private hospital and later referred to the Ikorodu General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

Hospital staff reportedly advised the woman to file a report with the police — a decision that led to her arrest.

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Family members of the deceased said they had met all police requirements, including depositing the corpse in the morgue, but were shocked when officers allegedly demanded ₦300,000 for the woman’s release.

“We made it clear there was no foul play and begged them to release her,” a relative said. “They asked us to bring ₦300,000. We told them we had already spent over ₦50,000, but when we offered that amount, they said we were not serious about securing her release.”

As of press time, the woman remains in police custody.

A source close to the family narrated that the deceased arrived home from work on Monday night and received a distressing call from his child, which reportedly caused his blood pressure to spike. He later developed a severe headache and began sweating profusely before being rushed to the hospital.

Attempts to reach the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for comments were unsuccessful.

The Lagos State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the allegation.

Lagos police accused of demanding N300,000 to release woman after friend’s death