According to Okonkwo, who related the story, the cops unlawfully detained them because they refused to offer the N1.5 million bribe they requested, even though they searched them and their car and discovered nothing of consequence.

Somto Okonkwo, an actor and freelance journalist from Nigeria, has expressed regret over his and his crew members’ unlawful detention and harassment by Imo State CID, Anti-Narcotics and Drug Unit officials in Owerri, the state capital, from last Friday to Saturday.

According to Okonkwo, who related the story, the cops unlawfully detained them because they refused to offer the N1.5 million bribe they requested, even though they searched them and their car and discovered nothing of consequence.

In a 13-minute, 52-second video, Okonkwo described the event, saying that they were stopped by police to retrieve a SIM card that had been misplaced on their way to the MTN office. The cops allegedly sought a N1.5 million payment from the individual, claiming that he was a journalist and member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), and that the money they were carrying was counterfeit US dollars meant to be used as props in movies.

“Are the Nigerian police now kidnappers?” he asked. The police inspector general, I’m recording this video and I’m contacting you to double-check everything I say because it all occurred.

His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma, I know you are aware of me, but I am unable to travel from Port Harcourt to your state, and the police will render me worthless for no apparent reason.

After several arguments, I was freed from a police station on October 12, 2024, after having been imprisoned there on October 11, 2024. Although I don’t go on camera and start screaming, I feel compelled to share what I witnessed at State CID in Owerri, Imo State, particularly in the Anti-Narcotics and Drug Section.

To shoot a video, I travelled to Owerri from Port Harcourt. We are now filming a movie. We utilised actual US dollars and genuine Nigerian Naira when we were creating movies in the past, but our production team instructed us to cease using real money for security concerns. Instead, we should use prop money, which is false money used in videos so viewers won’t be disrespectful of other currencies.

“Therefore, rather than giving them our prop money, we will make a wireless transfer of money to him/her when someone earns some money in our videos.”

“We were heading to a location to shoot,” Okonkwo said. One of my crew members dropped his phone at the area where we went to shoot, so we went to the MTN office to get his number back so that nobody would pick it up and use it for inappropriate purposes.

“We were stopped and searched by a bunch of Anti-Narcotics and Drug Police while we were travelling down Yar’Adua Drive, World Bank, near Everyday Supermarket.

I handed them my ID card and introduced myself as a pressman. In addition, I act. We were going to get our recently lost SIM card returned so we could return to our place. I work for the Actors Guild of Nigeria, or AGN. I told them to search us even though they insisted on doing so.

They began examining our automobile, myself, and two of my crew mates. They observed our props and the prop money, which was in two bundles. They made notes on each bundle of prop money stating that it should only be used for the movie shoot and not be utilised for purchases.

The officer responded, “See money” right away. You folks are going to pay for this major issue (wahala), and you’ll be exhausted. What does that imply, I asked? For what? Pay till we are exhausted?

They asked for my ID card to print the money, and I replied that I wasn’t the one who did so. They also questioned whether I was an AGN member, to which I replied that I was. My producer printed it; he has his ID card; he is registered; her platform is registered; I have millions of subscribers and followers on my own platforms.

They insisted that we go to the station even after I showed them the movies we are making with the money and that it is prop money. After loading us onto their bus, they parked our car on a corner. We were held on their bus for more than an hour. This was taking place at 2:00 PM.

“They claimed we will find out when I enquired what we did. One of them approached me, requested to see my platform, and I gave it to them.

A bunch of people on bikes approached them while we were there, searched them, and discovered daggers, knives, and various weapons. They placed them with us after handcuffing them.

When we wanted to leave, they insisted that we either go to the station or settle them there. that we will have to pay N1.5 million if we visit the station. For what purpose? Permit me to summon my producer to present his identification card as verification of this money; they declined to present the remaining funds we possess.

“I’m a pressman; I gave them my ID card once more. Before I recorded them on camera and uploaded it online, they insisted that I hand them my phones. I handed my phones to them. I don’t do drugs, and I’m not a scammer. I just create material; I also run a business and perform in films.

They stated we should settle them after the entire wait. that if we didn’t bribe them, they would take us to the anti-drug and anti-narcotics department of the State CID Owerri. They led us there after we declined to give them money.

“They kept us on the floor when we went there. I am the one with the US dollar prop money, therefore I requested that they free my staff members. If you would like to hold me, do so. Permit me to phone my producer and attorney as well. This time, they kept us waiting at the desk for more than an hour.

He said that after holding them till about 3 p.m., the police requested them to go to a cell. He claimed that when he questioned why they were moving them to a cell, they told him that they would call each of them individually to give their statement.

He went on, “We went to the cell as instructed and were locked up alongside the guys they observed carrying guns, a man they spotted carrying a bag of narcotics. Since we are not criminals, why are we being kept among people like this?

Without letting us compose our statement or even give our families, the production team, or our lawyer a call, they abandoned us and headed home. IPO Mary was the IPO in charge of the case. She works under Jude, the officer in charge, and stays on the left side of the office.

“One of my team members has health concerns, so I begged them to be released, but they abandoned us there without any food. Cell 12 was where we were. With only eighteen of us crammed into the tiny cage and no inhaler, one of my crew member who suffers from asthma almost passed away.

“I was yelling that something was very wrong. I sobbed, demanding that they act as I would be held accountable if the man died. However, a police officer arrived and informed me that they would deal with him appropriately should he pass away.

When things got worse, they arrived, got him outside, gave him water, discovered an inhaler, revived the man, and shut us back in. We slept till the following morning and were not allowed to phone our relatives. My family found out about what was going on through circulating news, so they contacted the producer and my attorney arrived.

“Abuja started sending calls, saying we needed to pay N1.5 million, then lowered the amount to N300,000. When my lawyer questioned them what they had purchased, they stated that we should pay as they had purchased an inhaler for my guy. We bought the inhaler from them for N15,000.

“They freed us after attempting to duck many calls by claiming they weren’t seated.

Many innocent people are detained in the cell, and they are not permitted to contact their family, attorneys, or anybody else. They don’t even provide food for them.

He appealed for immediate action to free the innocent individuals being held by the police, calling on Governor Hope Uzodimma, Blogger Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.

He claimed, “They get a minibus and gather some boys and ask them to go to the state and make an account from Keke NAPEP. If those boys don’t have an account at the end of the day, they will arrest people and put them in a cell.”

But many phone calls to Henry Okoye, the state police command’s public relations officer, were unsuccessful.