For not paying ‘police fee’, management stops residents of Abuja estate from going out

There was chaos at the Redeemer Excellent Men Housing Foundation, Pyakassa Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja, as residents of the estate were prevented from going about their various businesses on Thursday by the management of the estate.
The management of the estate locked the gates to force the residents to pay a controversial police security fee.
Many of the residents had refused paying the fee saying they do not see the effect of the service as they are still being robbed.
The management of the estate has been a source of controversy to residents who have been asking for accountability and transparency in the handling of its affairs.
One of the residents, Meyanga Oguche, said residents have suffered extortion and harassment by the management of the estate.
“The height of the harassment was what was done today as I got to the gate with my wife and children to take them to school only for me to get to the estate gate and find it locked,” Mr. Oguche said.
“They even had to engage my wife in a fight to deter us from unlocking the gate to leave.”
He said residents had been responsible for organising the security in the estate using local vigilante and the police.
“But when we suspected discrepancies in the deals with the police, we agreed at the meeting that we should stop paying money into the association’s account for policemen and use just the vigilantes.
“I see no reason why they should come out and enforce the payment for something that we organised and we say we are not doing again.”
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Mr. Oguche explained further that “presently, there are about 60 residents in the estate and they are asking the residents to pay N3,000 each as police security fee as they claim to be paying N140,000 to the two police used on night patrol of the estate.”
Mr. Oguche said even though he was an executive member of the resident’s association, he was not aware of the N140,000 payment to the police especially as meetings of the resident association have been suspended.