A Port Harcourt-based fashion designer, Shaibu Abdulkareem, has alleged that some officers of the Nigerian Police conspired with one of his customers, Hajia Assamaou Muhammad, to intimidate him and unlawfully confiscate his tailoring equipment.
In an interview with Chronicles Reporters, Abdulkareem recounted how a disagreement over a batch of clothes escalated into his shop being invaded and his machines seized, all without any court-authorized warrant.
“I received the clothes on May 28 this year. Some of them required embroidery, and I made it clear to the customer that completing those designs would take time,” he explained. “She mentioned she needed a few outfits ready for a wedding on June 21 and would be travelling a week before the event.”
According to him, he managed to finish and deliver the clothes intended for the wedding. However, delays from the embroidery designer affected the rest of the order. He claimed he informed the customer of the situation and believed she was understanding—until things suddenly took a turn.
“She called later and demanded that I either return all her clothes or refund her money. The next thing I knew, she arrived with police officers who arrested me,” he said.
Abdulkareem revealed that while at the police station, he was instructed to repay the sum of over ₦200,000. He asked for one or two days to sort out the payment since some work had already been completed, but both the customer and the police allegedly rejected his plea.
“I told them to give me a bit of time, but they insisted I go to the bank to withdraw the money. They also demanded ₦45,000 as bail and other charges—₦40,000 for bail and an additional ₦5,000,” he recounted.
On the way to the bank, Abdulkareem claimed he escaped, fearing further intimidation. He also alleged that shortly after, in his absence, police officers raided his workshop and removed valuable equipment.
“While I was away, I was informed that two industrial sewing machines and a standard machine were taken from my shop by the police, again without any court order. This happened despite my willingness to refund the money within 48 hours,” he said.
When contacted by Chronicles Reporters, a family member of Hajia Assamaou Muhammad, speaking on her behalf, confirmed the police were involved but maintained that the tailor failed to honour his end of the agreement.
“The matter is still with the police. The tailor accepted clothes, didn’t deliver them, and has not returned the ₦306,000 he was paid. He even ran off while being taken to the bank,” the relative stated. “The machines were taken to the Mile 1 Police Station as evidence.”
Efforts to get an official comment from the police were unsuccessful. An officer handling the case, identified only as Inspector Stella at Mile 1 Police Division, declined to speak on the matter.
“I can’t comment on this issue at the moment. Please don’t be offended,” she said.
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