On 29/12/2020 in Aba, I was stopped by a group of police men while driving myself and family members on my 2005 honda accord. The police men wore just police camouflage polos with no displayed Identity card, name tag or force number and were carrying AK-47 rifles. I was driving my 2005 honda accord car with Lagos registration number.
Inside the car were my two younger brothers, my younger sister, my wife and my one year old baby. The police men requested for my vehicle papers and driver's license which I handed over to them. They said that my license registration number is fake. They showed me an FRSC web page where they ran my plate number and it displayed "Invalid".
I explained to them that the number was duly registered in Lagos and that the plate number was gotten via legal channels and there is no way it can be fake. They wouldn't hear of that. I demanded that they allow me call who registered the vehicle for me which I did. The agent that registered the vehicle for me is a colleague of mine in the office that has connection with FRSC.
He explained to me that Lagos is the only state that produces their plate number themselves and that sometimes they don't upload it on FRSC database. So, that the number doesn't show on FRSC database doesn't mean that it's fake. He gave me Lagos autoreg verification website(verify.autoreg.ng) to give the policemen to verify the plate number . I personally verified my number on the autoreg website and it showed valid. I tried explaining these to the policemen but they wouldn't hear the explanation.
They collected the car keys from me to drive the car to their station but couldn't start the car after several attempts. They ordered I and my younger brother into their miniature mitsubishi bus and took us to their station. They later took my brother back to the car location and towed the vehicle to their station.
They told me to UnCloth to my boxer shorts and detained me inside their cell(the condition of the cell is story for another day). I was detained for approximately 6hours till my dad came and they collected thirty thousand naira from him before releasing me. The DPO ordered for my release after my father intervened and is most likely aware of the thirty thousand that was paid before I was released.
He(DPO) said my vehicle should not be released till they conclude investigation on the license plate issue. They defrauded 30k from my father to effect my release when I committed no crime. My vehicle was duly registered in Lagos which can be verified on autoreg website. They detained me for no just cause for 6hours in a filthy cell that is not fit for lower animals let alone a human being. They refused to release my vehicle till this moment thereby causing a lot of hardship to my family for someone that visited home for Xmas.
I have resolved to fight the humiliation I am suffering in their hands with everything I have got. I just want to be sure that what my agent told me is the truth. Is a plate showing on autoreg but not on FRSC database fake? How can I prove that my plate number is authentic?
Please gurus should respond.
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