Zicsaloma, the Nigerian skit maker, has taken to social media to call out operatives of the Nigeria Police Force over extortion and harassment during routine checks on tinted glass permits in Lagos.
In a recent Instagram video, the content creator alleged that police operatives targeted him because he drove a Mercedes-Benz, insisting that youths with exotic cars are unfairly stereotyped.
Zicsaloma recounted how officers repeatedly stopped him despite holding a valid tinted glass permit issued by the police, it was dismissed as fake as they attempted to extort money from him.
He said, “I want to sell my Benz, not because I am broke, but because of the Nigerian Police. How can you people stop me more than five times in one day? Coming out from my house before that Ibrahim Tseya traffic light, the police there no be here (sic).
“They stopped me and jumped into my car. They said, ‘Let’s go to the station.’ I asked for what, and they said, ‘tinted permit. I showed them my tinted permit, and they said it was fake.
“I’m showing you a tinted permit from your website. I went to the mainland to capture it; they still claimed it was fake. I said, ‘No problem, let’s go.’ Getting to the station, they said, Let’s go behind.’ I asked why we can’t go into the station; no response. As I came down from the car, people started shouting, ‘Aloma, Aloma.’
“It’s like they noticed people knew me and I might not be that scammer, yahoo boy or fraudster they think I am, because I wore a cap and earrings. The next minute, they called an Oga from the Ajiwe police station, the one around Ajah to come outside the station to meet me, so the Oga came and realised a lot of people knew me, and he became careful and demanded we go into the station.
“To my greatest surprise, he started walking behind the station and trying to be jovial and saw that I was recording myself. He asked why I was recording and he would charge me, and I said, ‘No problem, let me go inside so you will charge me.’ Then he took me to the higher Oga, and that one said we are friends and then let me go,” he recounted.
Zicsaloma explained that the harassment continued at four more checkpoints on the same day.
He continued, “Heading towards the Ajah bridge, another set stopped me and said I should come down in the middle of the under Ajah bridge. Luckily, the other colleague knew me and said I should go because I am a comedian.
“Heading to VGC, another set stopped me. Let me see your papers.
“My papers are complete; it’s just because of the Benz I am driving. It’s not always Benz that can commit a crime.
“As it seems now, I may commit a crime with a small car, keep human head in a small corolla and may likely not get caught.
“Please, who wants my Benz? I am tired; the stopping is tiring and exhausting. That’s why I rarely drive my Benz,” he decided.
