Nigerian Police Charge Millions of Naira from Victims of Crime for Investigation — Nigerian Lawyer -Paul Nyambi Esq
A United Kingdom–based Nigerian lawyer, Paul Alobi Nyambi Esq, has accused the Nigeria Police Force of routinely charging victims of crime millions of naira to investigate serious offences, including murder, describing the practice as a grim reflection of deep-rooted institutional corruption.
Nyambi made the allegation in a Facebook post in which he recounted his traumatic experience while handling a murder case in Nigeria before relocating abroad. According to him, the family of a deceased woman was allegedly subjected to repeated financial demands by police officers while seeking justice over her death.
The lawyer claimed that his clients were compelled to part with huge sums to enable basic investigative steps, including the conduct of an autopsy in a murder case.
He further alleged that after the matter stalled at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Uyo, a formal petition was submitted to the Office of the Inspector-General of Police requesting the transfer of the case. However, instead of progress, the case allegedly landed in the hands of another set of officers who demanded ₦1.4 million for flight tickets to transfer a suspect to Abuja — a trip he said never took place.
Nyambi stated that the investigation was further compromised by alleged collusion between police officers, a suspect described as a pastor based in Port Harcourt, and a former lawyer to the complainants, who he claimed was induced with bribes before being disengaged.
According to him, the same lawyer later instituted a suit on behalf of the suspect to frustrate the investigation, allegedly acting in connivance with the officer handling the matter at the State CID in Uyo.
Despite the passage of time, Nyambi said there has been no official update on the case, leaving the bereaved family without closure and reinforcing what he described as a disturbing pattern of extortion and compromise within the criminal justice system.
“The level of institutional corruption in Nigeria is sickening,” the lawyer lamented, concluding his post with a stark indictment of the system.
