Thought we moved past this, past the unreasonable search and harassment of the police over young ones
This was the root of the riot and protest that happened 20th of October 2020 in my country and a solution was provided the accused force SARS ( special anti-robbery squad ) was disbanded and a little peace began to reign, not for the police itself to constitute the same nuisance and start with the unreasonable search and harassment
I was out over the weekend and on my way, I passed through a bridge with police at the checkpoint then the guy beside me and i was stopped and searched as moving pass a bridge we both concur with the search and raise our hands not until when the policeman required both our phones be submitted for a search and detained both of us all for no reason.
We were both surprised and after a long search going through our phones with nothing to bring forth we were both asked and required to follow up to the police station.
Why do we have to follow you to your station?
we are not accused of any crime so why should we go ahead with you to the station?
Then the police replied "so you are resisting arrest" as if it was some kind of joke every of our belongings was collected immediately and the atmosphere immediately changed they start treating us like criminals.
saying we are one, just because we are not found with something incriminating does not justify us not being criminals.
I was shocked
does this look like a reasonable reason for arrest?
They had guns and so many stories of victims killed in the same scenarios like this all because they tried to make their rights known made me and the guy beside me remained silent.
I knew they were not going to take us to the stations all they wanted was money but I was not ready to give up my money for no reason not even after I was harassed and treated as a criminal and after so many merry-go-roundings from the police, he concluded that we need to bail ourselves.
I knew it will end up in this EXTORTION
The main reason we were stopped and searched was for them to extort us.
I plan on staying there till I get release as I was not ready to give any penny likewise the guy with me and after a short wait another young one was stopped and searched too and immediately he became a victim and their attention was diverted to the new victim and we immediately was released.
If the guy has no confidence in him he sure would be ripped off all his money and if care is not taken would be beaten and labeled a criminal just to justify their actions.
Day by day this is getting out of hand and the level young ones harassed is alarming.
so many have been ripped off a lot and those that try to let their rights known died in the process.
Thought we moved past this but seeing things like this makes my heart broken and pray for a better police force and reform in the police force.
So many have been victims and what we once fought for is reoccurring.
Different names, different victims, same flashbacks
I just hope things get better only with this the country becomes peaceful.