Photos-Chinese man allegedly detained and assaulted by Custom officers in Lagos

A Chinese man identified as Finn has accused the Nigerian Customs officers of illegally detaining and assaulting him.

According to him, the incident took place on February 9th at Mobolaji Bank Anthony, Ikeja.

Narrating what happened to LIB, he said;

On my way to pick up a business partner on Friday 9^th of February, at the Customs office area along Mobolaji Bank Anthony, Ikeja. Three customs officers approached our vehicle, which had myself (Chinese), driver (Nigerian) and another passenger (Nigerian) inside. They shouted at the driver to park, while the driver was trying to find a safe space on the road to park, one of the officers charged towards the car angrily, threw a bottle water (which was partially opened) at the driver through the window and the water splashed on everyone in the car.

While the driver was trying to explain himself, the officer lunged forward in an attempt to slap him, yelling at him for not stopping immediately, without even giving him a chance to explain himself. At this point, the driver was defenseless so I decided to step in and address the officers, asking them “what is the crime?” as I didn’t understand what was going on.

In my attempt to defend the driver, the officers got infuriated then shifted the aggression towards me, while justifying their actions and trying to impose their power, ordered us out of the vehicle. We stepped out of the car, at that point the aggression had turned to threat as they threatened to deal with me for speaking up for the driver who is a fellow Nigerian like them.

As the argument got heated up, the officers pounced on me, subdued me and placed handcuffs in my hands, dragging me into their office. At the office, one of the officers approached me gave me several slaps on my face (in the process my eye glasses broke), asking why I was shouting, whether I think I am in my country. They pushed me into their office and threatened to lock me up if I don’t keep quiet. I refused to keep quiet and asked to contact my lawyer since they want to detain me in their custody, but they rebuffed my request.

While I was in their custody, they refused to let my driver and the other passenger into their office. The officers who initially dragged me in later disappeared after a long while of humiliation and detention, another officer who was also in the office pleaded that I be released so as to kill the matter once and for all. I refused and continued to request to speak to my lawyer. I was later un-cuffed and asked to leave.

I finally decided to leave the office after been physically assaulted, verbally abused and illegally detained for no reason and not being able to trace the officers that inflicted all these pains on me got me even more devastated (though I can remember their faces clearly). Additionally, I missed my business meeting for the next day, my glasses were destroyed, got a red-swollen eyes and had to do eye check-up.