A man, Oyibe Michael has accused police officers in Ogun State of allegedly demanding N100,000 from him for an accident report following an auto collision in the Car Park C area of Mowe, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

According to Oyibe in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Monday, his car collided with a commercial bus as he was making a U-turn, resulting in damage to his vehicle.

When the police arrived at the scene to document the incident and take the damaged car to the Mowe Divisional Police Station, Oyibe stated how the police were biased with the way he was treated.

“We were asked to write a statement and present our car documents, then I made photocopies of them as instructed. However, the commercial driver was given preferential treatment despite his inability to present his vehicle documents,” Oyibe said.

He went on to describe how the owner of the commercial vehicle demanded N100,000 for damages, which he declined.

According to Oyibe, the Federal Road Safety Corps advised that the repair costs should be shared equally between both parties since it was an accident.

He expressed his disappointment with the police’s bias towards the commercial driver, even when his friend informed them that the driver was under the influence of alcohol.

The situation became more complicated when Oyibe contacted his car insurance company the next day for assistance.

The company required a police report as one of the criteria for processing his claim.

Oyibe promptly applied for the report but was told it would cost N100,000.

“One of the senior officers said the police report is N100,000. Then, I met two different officers who told me the same price and referred me to a female inspector to clear my doubt. The inspector said the report is N100,000, but if she wants to help me, the least she could collect is N50,000. She is even the one that will write it and give the DPO to sign. Then, I requested to see the DPO myself, but she refused,” Oyibe explained.

As a result, Oyibe’s car has been in police custody since October 13, and he cannot recover it unless he repairs the commercial bus, which he says he cannot afford to do without the insurance company’s assistance.

When questioned about the situation, Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, acknowledged that a police report was a standard requirement and that there was typically a fee associated with it. However, she expressed surprise at the specific amount mentioned by the officers.

She advised the complainant to report the matter to their office in Abeokuta, highlighting the need to clarify the issue further.