Nigerian Film Maker "Derik Zai" Calls Out "The Nigerian Police"

I tracked down someone who stole my camera worth six million naira and sold it to a receiver. I reported the case to the police team in Kaduna, and it was later linked to a team in Jos to help arrest the receiver and recover the camera and my sound device.

The sound device, which I bought from Sasco for around 300,000 naira just three weeks before the incident, was also stolen. I went to Sasco and informed him. He assured me that he would notify others in their gadget dealers’ union not to buy it but to help me recover it and arrest the suspect.

To my greatest surprise, Sasco bought that same sound device from the suspect for only 10,000 naira. He claimed the thief was a well-known cameraman and acted as if he didn’t remember that I had told him about my missing device.

Initially, Sasco said he would pay for the rental fees for as long as the item was with them and also reimburse the money I spent to resolve the case. But shortly after he spoke to one police officer and gave him money, he came to me saying, “Thank you for helping me. Just take it easy with the police. You people will settle everything today.”

I later met one of the officers who was aware of the case and told him what was going on. He said they could recover the money to cover the rental days, but that only the court handles such matters. I agreed and said I wanted to go to court. That was when he got angry.

Before that, he had already asked me to pay the team who helped arrest the receiver in Jos, which I did — 30,000 naira. Then he demanded an additional 80,000 naira for logistics to go to Jos with two others to bring down the suspect. After I sent him the money, he changed the whole story.

I later overheard him telling the receiver that he would help him recover the money he used to buy the camera but would take 200,000 naira from the 600,000 naira recovered. The police had already recovered over 200,000 naira from the suspect but were still holding on to my gadgets.

Because of that, I had to refund money to those who rented the camera from me earlier. When I asked for my camera so I could continue working, they said the thief had to refund the receiver’s money first before I could get my camera back. I was confused.

I confronted the officer I gave 80,000 naira to, and he started shouting that I wanted to teach them their job and that I was spoiling their investigation. I asked him plainly: “Is it because of the 200,000 naira you want to collect that you’re shouting at me in front of the suspect?” He said he only said that to deceive the Jos team so they could release the camera. I asked, “Deceive them how?”

I then called the team leader in Jos and asked, “Oga, how far with the camera you helped me recover?” He said, “If they don’t send the receiver his money, you won’t get the camera.” I asked, “So if it takes two months for the thief to pay, I won’t get my camera?” He said yes. I asked, “Is that what the law says?” He got angry.

I told them to charge the case to court, but he started shouting again, saying I was afraid of court, that they control the court. Before I knew it, he called the officer in Kaduna, and that one rushed at me, saying, “Why are you telling my Oga what to do? Do you think this is your office? The way you do investigations is not how we do it here. We’ll release all the suspects and deny that anything like this ever happened.”

I told him to go ahead. Then he said, “I’ll lock you up and nothing will happen. You’re a poor man. Do you think you can fight the two big men involved in this? It’s only those with money who win court cases. Leave our station. We don’t know you and we don’t have any business with you.”

He said all this in the presence of the suspect and his accomplice. He even tried to pull his pistol, threatening to waste me, but his colleagues held him back. I stood still, without moving. He kept pushing and dragging me, and the other officers asked me to leave.

When I tried to report to their 2IC, he instructed the station guard not to allow me in. It’s been two weeks now. I’ve tried to reach their commander but all my efforts have failed. Since then, the officer has been harassing me and calling me names for no reason.

Please help me share this story until I get justice. My camera and sound device are still with them. Tag the @nigeriapoliceforce and @npf_nccc. On Monday, I will post all the receipts and evidence of everything that transpired