A corps member in Calabar 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.
According to reports, the corps member had participated in a friendly football match with fellow youth corps members when he sustained a serious leg injury. In need of pain relief, he proceeded to a nearby pharmacy to purchase medication recommended by the chemist.
However, while returning home, he was stopped and searched by NDLEA officers, who found the medication in his bag. Upon discovering the drugs, the officers claimed that one of the tablets was classified as a controlled substance, leading to his immediate arrest.
The officers allegedly demanded a sum of ₦150,000 to secure his release, refusing to provide an official explanation for the arrest or verify the prescription. Instead of taking him to an NDLEA facility, the officers reportedly held him in an undisclosed location for three hours while insisting that his family raise the funds for his release.
The victim’s brother took to X (formerly Twitter) to narrate the incident, expressing frustration over what he described as an act of extortion by NDLEA operatives. He revealed that when attempts were made to negotiate, the officers refused to accept a bank transfer, instead escorting the detained corps member to a POS center to withdraw the cash.
According to the account shared, the corps member was visibly distressed, especially because he was wearing his NYSC cap and had his ID card on him at the time of the arrest. Despite these clear indicators of his identity and status, the officers did not reconsider their actions or conduct any further investigations into the medication he purchased.
His brother further stated that the only reason the officers settled for ₦150,000 was due to the daily withdrawal limit on his Opay account, suggesting that they might have demanded more if he had access to a larger sum at the time.
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 took to social media to express their outrage over the incident, condemning the alleged misconduct by the NDLEA officers. Many demanded justice and urged the agency to take immediate action to address the issue.
See some reactions below:
@Teddie_vee_: “This is crazy! Even with his ID and the fact that he’s a Corps member, it’s clear they were just after the money and forgot their real job is to protect, not to oppress.”
@Wire__7: “I’ve experienced this same thing back in 2018. I was traveling back to school (Unical) when NDLEA stopped our bus and searched me, my bags … saw nothing, they asked if I smoke weed, I said ‘No I don’t’ till they decided to search my phone and saw weed pictures on my phone.”
@enyola: “You guys got scammed. If he was indeed in possession of a controlled drug, they would be more interested in where it was prescribed to him.”
@uchennapaul: “It is very likely he had tramadol on him. It should not be taken unless it was prescribed by a doctor. A hospital once gave me tramadol, and I was not bothered to take it home because I knew that once it was from a hospital, I didn’t break any law.”
@Oluya_of_lagos: “Ok, let’s assume it was a controlled drug. Why not let him take them to the place he got it from instead of arresting people buying and leaving those who are selling??”
@Mickyiv4: “The criminality that goes on in this country from different security apparatus is crazy. The ₦150K they charged him & collected is for what exactly? Is it a fine for the offense of carrying a controlled drug? Did they enlighten him or document him? Did they give him a receipt? Crazy.”
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