A Nigerian man who was robbed at knifepoint inside a commercial tricycle (keke) in Ogun State has narrated how he tracked his stolen iPhone to Lagos but was still unable to recover it - despite police demanding a ₦200,000 "mobilization fee" to assist with the retrieval.
According to his friend who shared the story, the victim boarded a keke heading to Toll Gate, and along the way, two smartly dressed men joined him.
As they hit traffic, the men allegedly pulled out knives and threatened him, demanding his phone. Fearing for his life, he handed it over.
The robbers dropped him off once traffic cleared and sped off. He tried chasing them on a bike, but the rider was too slow.
He immediately reported the incident at Sango Police Station and showed them the phone's live location. However, officers said the "tracker wasn't available at the moment."
Determined to retrieve his device, he followed the phone's location all the way to Lagos, where it showed up in Ajeromi Ifelodun, Nosamu Street.
Upon reporting to a police station in the area, he was referred to the tactical squad, popularly known as SARS.
There, he was told to pay ₦200,000 to "mobilize" the team.
Hoping it would help, he agreed. But after several delays, the officers later asked him to scout the dangerous area by himself.
Fearing for his safety, he backed off. He later approached another officer who said recovery was "50/50" and demanded ₦18,000 before they could even attempt to help again.
The phone remains tracked and visible, but no further effort has been made by the authorities.
In his words:
"Till today, my guy can still see the phone's location moving around Lagos, but the police can't do anything about it. Nigeria will humble you."
FULL STATEMENT:
"How my friend got robbed in a keke and tracked his phone to Lagos but still couldn't get it back because... Nigeria. So my friend was on his way home and got into a keke heading to Toll Gate. At first, he was the only passenger, then two well-dressed guys hopped in."
"Ride was smooth until they hit traffic. Suddenly, he felt something sharp by his side. Looked down, and they had knives pointed at each side of his waist."
"They said, "Mu phone yen wa" (bring that phone). He gave it to them immediately. What else could he have done? They were on both sides with knives."
"They dropped him where traffic cleared and zoomed off. He tried chasing them with a bike, but the bike man was old and slow asf, so it didn't work. He reported immediately at Sango Police Station. The phone's live location was showing, and he was ready to pay the police to help him get it back."
"But as usual, Nigerian police were slow. They took his statement, asked a bunch of questions, and said the "tracker isn't available right now."
"He left for Lagos, still tracking the phone. The phone even got to Lagos before him. It was showing in Ajeromi Ifelodun, Nosamu Street, and stayed there till Sunday morning."
"He reported to the Ajeromi Ifelodun Police Station, and an officer there advised him to go meet the tactical squad (SARS). SARS took his statement and told him he'd need to "mobilize them" with 200k. He didn't oppose because he really wanted the phone back."
"He waited. Nothing. Later, they told him to scout the area himself ðŸ˜. The phone was close, but the area was a hood, and he couldn't risk getting himself killed. He went back to the station, and they gave him long stories. That's when he realized they weren't going to do anything, and he had to return to school that day."
"He even spoke to another policeman later who just told him it's "50/50" and that he'd need to bring 18k to even try again. Till today, my guy can still see the phone's location moving around Lagos, but the police can't do anything about it. Nigeria will humble you."
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