We’re under siege, Dutse youths decry police extortion, harassment By Akintan Adeola Rachael

We’re under siege, Dutse youths decry police extortion, harassment

By Akintan Adeola Rachael

Dutse Makaranta, a growing community on the fringes of Abuja, is gripped by tension as residents, particularly youths, accuse policemen of persistent harassment and extortion.

Over the past few months, young men in the area have alleged being routinely profiled and arbitrarily stopped by officers who demand to search their phones without reason.

Many of these encounters, they claim, end with intimidation, loss of personal belongings, or demands for cash to secure their freedom.

Toluwalase, a 24-year-old student, recounted how he was recently accosted on his way home from the mosque.

“They stopped me in the evening and asked for my phone.

“They went through my messages and pictures. When I questioned them, one slapped me and said I was talking too much.

“They threatened to take me to the station unless I ‘cooperated.’ In the end, I gave them ₦5,000 before they let me go,” he said.

Another resident, Kingsley Obinna, 27, said the situation has become so bad that he now avoids certain roads altogether.

“It feels like we are under siege,” he lamented.

“Anytime they see a young man with a good phone, they label you a criminal or ‘Yahoo boy.’

” No warrant, no explanation, just threats. This is not policing, it’s harassment.”

Despite repeated complaints from the community, there has been no visible response from the authorities.

Efforts to reach the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command for comments proved unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

Residents are now calling for urgent government intervention, stressing that accountability and proper oversight of officers are needed to restore trust.

Many fear that, if left unchecked, the growing mistrust between youths and law enforcement could snowball into wider unrest.