By Naomi Onome
It is bewildering that the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Nigeria Police in Calabar has taken to the habit of extorting young boys on the street during the day and night of monies meant for their upkeep in the name of duty.
A mandatory reporter condemned the attitude of anti-cultism operatives at the satellite town office in calabar for always harassing young boys who are Gen Z by arresting them en masse and extorting them of cash between 50,000 and 200,000 before releasing them and making them a target for another day to harass and extort. The list of young boys who have gone through this ordeal is endless.
The recent act of the anti-cultism operatives that sparked a public outcry is the forceful entry of these operatives at midnight between 1 and 2 am using weapons to break entry and harass these young men, especially those whom they perceived to have the money to pay for bail (extortion). It is said that the victims are apprehended on the road or forcefully taken from their house to a place of nowhere just to extort and free them. Some have been victims of gunshot wounds or allegations leading them to be charged in court just for refusal to be extorted or lack of funds to bail themselves out.
A particular incident happened on Monday, May 5th, 2025, involving some young men seems more pathetic as these operatives were captured on camera breaking through the gate and making plans to enter a young man’s apartment at 1:30 am midnight, and they succeeded in picking up two tenants of the apartment as planned. The young men bailed themselves out of the ordeal when taken to a lonely place at midnight with over N100,000 each, as usual.
The public is calling on the commissioner of police of Cross River State, CP Olusegun Omosanyin to treat this situation as a matter of urgency, for parents who have children schooling in these places are beginning to express fear for their safety.
See the attached video as evidence below.
