Lessons I learnt from harassment in the hands of SARS operatives. Please forgive me for this long epistle.
It so happened on Saturday, the previous week, my brother in law and I were completed harassed, bullied and preyed upon by the operatives of SARS along a popular road in one of the south west region of Nigeria (I have to be discrete with the precise location).
We were on the way to my house after assisting my mum with energizing of the dead batteries to her car. We sighted them along the road with two other unfortunate guys at the back of their vehicle. Probably those guys were being harassed as well but upon seeing us in the car they gave a chase. We actually didn’t even know they were after us but knew when they suddenly packed beside us while we were still trying to make a u-turn in front of the legislative house of assembly.
Since I was beside the driver (my bro in law), one of them told me to move to the back while he sat and another joined me there. My bro in law was now told to drive straight to their zone command office where the so called harassment took place.
Below are the lessons I learnt that day from their harassment.

1. Never argue with them: Abeg, for God’s sake, just follow their ‘commands’. It’s not because you have to do this out of fear but since I just read in the papers about the shooting of a blogger in Lagos two days prior, I knew they weren’t supposed to being taken lightly. They could easily assault you and frame you up for resisting arrest.

2. Be confident:While they packed beside us and barked out instructions, though I didn’t argue but politely asked them what everything was all about and I did it confidently. I still asked the one beside me and all he said was we should wait till we get to their base. Even when we got there and my wife (I had already called her to alert her to our predicament) kept calling to know how things were, I simply told her it was okay and we would be out in no time that we simply were being interrogated. Mind you I did that in the presence of one of them just to let him know I understood their job ethics. This brings me to the next lesson.

3. Inform your close ones of your movement:I know it may be a little hard or awkward to always inform people of your movement but try as much as possible. It may save your ass. Be it kidnapping, accident etc. it’s just safe you do so. Immediately we arrived their office, they searched the vehicle. I mean real searching o. under the foot carpets, boots, in the engine, everywhere. As if they were looking for drugs or guns or anything. After that, they collected my wallets and I tell you, they checked everything. Even pieces of papers I hadn’t checked in over four years of using the wallet were checked and questions asked about them. Bank tellers, Id cards etc.

4. Don’t keep unnecessary or incriminating things in your wallet: Even outdated ID cards. One of them told me I’m not supposed to be with my old university ID cards that since I’m now an alumnus; I shouldn’t be carrying it about. Though, I argued that out but he still insisted and read out the instruction at the back to me to prove he was right. Some of us are even in the habit of putting things that are not necessary in our wallets just for memories’ sake but I tell you, avoid that temptation o. They may use it against you.
They even found pieces of SIM card in my wallet and see as them come dey ‘Para’. They even said we are kidnappers that why should we be carrying SIMs about. I simply said I use other SIMs considering the fact that some network providers have better services and offers that are quite enticing. Yet, dem argue o.

5. Make sure your car documents are updated and you have your driving license: You may be saying ‘what is police business with driving license’ but I would advice get your license. It will save you and let them identify you.

6. Have a lawyer or know someone who knows a lawyer or even a policeman: Yes, It’s just good if you do. After checking and searching and still not satisfied, they said they weren’t satisfied with the car documents and since my bro in law had foreign currencies (about fifteen currencies of different countries he collects as artifacts, they deduced he was into crime. He had to tell them he meets different foreign expatriates at his place of work and sometimes collect their country’s currencies just to remind him of them, yet dem no gree o.

7. Please, delete chat history of business people or simply ensure you don’t chat dirty or have chats that can implicate you: This guys checked all our chats in both my whatsapp and my bro in law’s Iphone messenger o. they were looking for anything to implicate us.

8. Finally, I would say that attracted them to us was the way my bro in law dressed. He had beards and had a face cap on and being a tall guy, he looked big while driving. Would I say he not supposed to keep beards or use a cap? Of course not but it’s what attracted them. I tell you, they allowed those two guys (they initially had with them) leave when they took us. Simply because they thought they had caught ‘big fish’.

Well, after all the harassment and our bold stance of not writing any statement till our lawyer arrived, they knew we were clean but now showed the real reason I always complain of Nigeria Law enforcement agents. And that was ‘what do we have for them?’
Infact one of them descending as low as taking one of the currencies (which was 10 dollars) and said we should add two thousand naira to it. But we simply refused. Why? My bro in law said he could not part with it that he worked for everything he had with him. If he were a ‘Yahoo Guy” he simply would have tried to bribe them but that was not the case.
After all their wahala, they finally allowed us to go. So my dear people, I urge you guys to learn out of this. It may happen to you someday so learn how to help yourself.

Op. Thank God.


Here in lagos. Everyone is a suspect. Police will find something illegal about u always. Or even made it up with u.

I think 80% of lagosians have one thing or the other he or she wont want the police to see on them


They go to the extent of putting drugs and weed in ur car in the process of searching

From monday to saturday. I wear native to work (tho my work allows it). And it has been working for me. I even carry laptops around without reciept and even without id card. They have stopped ppl besode me. They would just say I sould be going on my own.


Every one should find what works for them and use it.

you are very on point and very lucky with the native wears. but i ll beg u at least get receipt of whateva electronics you av with you. Lagos na hot zone o

Thanks for the messages... Really i was a victim last week thursday, when i was driving my galfriend niece's from school age 1yrs, 3yrs inside my car. They though i was a kidnapper.

hope you weren't assaulted bro. thats serious

you are lucky ooo those criminals in uniform didnt frame you and your inlaw. na their way.

I have been thinking about this seriously, are we now prisoners in our own country? Because of all these harassment I cant carry my old lappy around cos the receipt has been misplaced long ago, I think I'm just going to keep my foreign ATM card at home and try as much as possible to broadcast messages against these criminals in uniform until all this nonsense stops. God help us.