Investigation: How Masked ‘Police Officers' Rain Terror Along Abuja–Nasarawa Border at Night
- Masked men posing as police were reported to have mounted illegal night checkpoints along the Abuja–Nasarawa border, extorting and harassing commuters
- Victims said the attackers operated in a white Hiace bus and targeted mostly young men, demanding money and seizing phones during late-night stop-and-search encounters
- Police authorities denied involvement in the operations as civil society groups and residents called for urgent investigations and improved security along the corridor
It was 10:07 p.m on a breezy Friday night when this reporter encountered what has become a recurring nightmare for many residents commuting between Abuja and Nasarawa.
Driving home after covering an event in the city, the road from AYA to Mararaba was unusually quiet, save for the hum of streetlights and the distant roar of tricycles. Just before the City College junction, a white Hiace bus suddenly blocked the lane.
Source: Twitter
Out stepped four men dressed in black tactical vests, their faces hidden behind masks.
“Stop there! Who are you?” one barked.
Flashing no identification, they circled the car, their torches blinding. One demanded to see my phone; another rummaged through the glove compartment. When nothing incriminating was found, their tone changed.
“You’re driving too late. It’s 10 p.m. That’s an offense. You’ll pay ₦20,000 or we’ll take you in,” the leader said flatly.
Despite identifying myself as a journalist, their threats persisted until a passing motorist slowed down, watching the scene unfold. Perhaps fearing attention, the masked men retreated to their van, disappearing into the night, just as swiftly as they appeared.
That moment, tense, humiliating, and surreal, only projects what dozens of young Nigerians endure nightly on the Abuja–Nasarawa border.
Abuja–Nasarawa: A border turned hunting ground
Stretching from AYA through Nyanya, Mararaba, and into City College-Abacha road, the Abuja–Nasarawa corridor is one of the busiest routes in northern Nigeria, linking thousands of workers, traders, and students who commute daily between the two states. But when darkness falls, the same stretch transforms into a zone of fear.
Residents say masked men, some in police tactical gear, arrive in an unmarked white Hiace bus around 10 p.m., mounting illegal checkpoints at corners along Abacha Road, City College, and the Mararaba Junction axis.
Onyekachi Micheal, a kitchen equipment dealer, at City College junction, said:
“They usually wear black, carry what looks like a gun, other with heavy sticks and move in groups of four or five. They stop only young men, especially those driving or on bikes. If you argue, they slap you. If you cooperate, they tell you to settle them. Sometimes they take your phone and demand your password.
"One of the nights, I closed from my shop and was heading home when these guys stopped and searched everything on me. At the end of the say, I was told to pay about 4 thousand naira and I did because I was scared for them not to bundle me inside their vehicle and take me away.”
For Suleiman Abdullahi, a mechanic in Karu, the experience was both traumatic and costly. He narrated his ordeal in a local parlance, saying:
“I been dey come back from one of my customer’s place around 10:30 p.m. when dem stop me. They come dey search my bag asif I steal something and I come say I look like Yahoo boy. They say make I pay ₦50,000, I no agree. Them come collect my phone, come force me send ₦10,000 before they let me go.”
Police or impostors?
The men’s identities remain a mystery. Many victims insist they introduce themselves as “police,” sometimes pointing to guns and tactical belts to prove it. Yet the Nasarawa state Police Command denies any knowledge of such operations.
In an interview with Legit.ng, on Thursday, November 13, SP Ramhan Nansel, spokesperson for the Nasarawa Command, distanced the police from the alleged acts.
“We have no record of any authorised night operation along that axis by masked officers. In fact, we do not have a single hiace. Those vehicle is not our own. We don’t have a single hiace and not no police officer in Nasarawa state operates on mask.
"So, I am not saying there are no intruders, but I didn’t know it happened. But, to me since we do not have those vehicle here in operation, I will tag them as non-policemen.
“The Nigeria Police Force does not condone extortion or harassment. Any officer found guilty of such conduct will be disciplined. The need for us to distribute our number is for those victims to reach out to us.
"Policemen are not angels, they are human beings just like you, that is why we have released our numbers and Nigerians should reach out to us.
“As it stands, I will escalate the issue to the Commissioner of police and an action will be taken immediately.”
He urged victims to come forward with credible information, vehicle numbers, locations, or video evidence, to help track down the perpetrators.
Commuters defer, say Police complacent
But commuters say reporting the incidents often leads nowhere.
Faith Idako, a fashion designer who lives in Mararaba, said:
“You can’t even prove they were police because they don’t wear name tags. If you record them, they seize your phone. If you shout, they will beat you and harass you. This should not be hard, if the police gets there at about 9pm, they will find them there.”
EndSARS: Growing distrust between police and youths
Source: Getty Images
The incident echoes a deeper national tension, the eroding trust between Nigerian youths and the police. From the 2020 #EndSARS protests to recent reports of random stop-and-search abuses, many young Nigerians feel criminalised by appearance or possession of a smartphone.
Samuel Aye, a young politician and former member of the youth parliament, said:
“Instead of seeing us as partners in security, they see us as suspects. We’re tired of being bullied for looking young or owning a car. It’s becoming dangerous to even go home late.”
Experts say this growing distrust weakens community policing efforts. Dr. Olamide Oyebanji, a criminologist at the University of Abuja.
“When citizens fear those meant to protect them, crime thrives. The police’s legitimacy depends on public cooperation. Masked and unauthorized patrols erode that trust. We can’t continue to have a system where trust is no more.”
Abuja–Nasarawa: A border of neglect
The Abuja–Nasarawa boundary, particularly around Mararaba and Abacha Road, is notorious for poor lighting, bad roads, and congested traffic.
Craters litter the stretch between City College and the Sharp Corner junction, forcing vehicles to slow down, an advantage for criminal patrols.
Yakubu Musa, a Keke rider, said: “You can’t even speed off when they stop you. The roads are so bad that you’ll damage your car before escaping. The government just abandoned the roads. So, as you’re passing, you must slow down, and that is how they will get a hold on you.”
Furthermore, residents accuse both the Nasarawa State Government and the Karu Local Government of neglect.
CSOs demand action
The situation has drawn attention from civil society organisations. Speaking with Legit.ng, on Thursday, November 13, the Centre for Civic Rights and Accountability (CCRA) urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to order an investigation into the activities of masked men along the border corridor.
CCRA’s Executive Director, Mrs. Kemi Adetola said:
“This recurring pattern of nocturnal extortion and intimidation is unacceptable. If these men are rogue officers, they should face disciplinary action. If they are impostors, the police must dismantle the network immediately. The police should be the ones taking over our roads not criminals. So as a body, we are calling for an investigation and necessary action from the IGP and concerned bodies.”
Adetola also called on the Nasarawa government to “restore lighting, fix the roads, and deploy trained security personnel, not faceless gunmen.”
Abuja: Military officer escapes assassination
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A. M. Yarima, who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly survived an assassination attempt in Abuja.
Military sources confirmed this Monday, November 10, that the officer was trailed on Sunday evening by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates.
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Source: Legit.ng
