The choice made by retired Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Isiagu Joseph to run a commercial bus, commonly referred to as ‘Korope’ in Lagos, has brought him criticism and public humiliation, notably from a current police Inspector. This officer, who was among those retired last year due to age, a decision still being challenged in court, confronted him while he was loading his bus at a motor park. The Inspector publicly mocked him, exclaiming for all to hear, “How can a retired police CSP be driving a Korope? It’s an insult to the police force. If I were to retire, I wouldn’t stoop to that level. I would live a more dignified life!”
“I am CSP Isiagu Joseph. I joined the force on December 1, 1988, and retired as a Chief Superintendent of Police on December 1, 2023, serving as a Divisional Police Officer. The enlistment date has become a contentious issue, and we are currently in court. While this matter is unresolved, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, summoned us in August 2024, leading to our dismissal, although the case remains in court for contempt. To support my family, I acquired a commercial minibus known as ‘Korope’.
“In December of last year, members of the Lagos State Task Force obstructed me at the bus stop near Alausa Secretariat while I was waiting for passengers to Ikeja. An inspector approached and began to insult me, despite us never having met before. I explained that I was a police officer and showed him my ID. After examining it, he remarked, ‘He’s a useless CSP driving Korope. Aren’t you a worthless CSP?’ I chose not to respond. I then showed my ID to a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, who was with him, and they permitted me to leave.”
On a different occasion, members of the Task Force surrounded me with two ‘Korope’ vehicles, and the same inspector came down to instruct his colleagues to take off my vehicle’s plate number. I chose not to engage with him. The civilian members of the task force reminded him that I held a senior position as a police officer, but he dismissed them, saying, ‘he is a worthless CSP driving Korope. Remove his plate number.’ At that moment, I signaled to the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who was with them, and he commanded the inspector to return my plate number.
“Then, on January 8th of this year, the same inspector arrived with three Korope buses filled with civilians. They blocked and confronted me at the same location. The two policemen accompanying them approached me, and I showed them my ID card. They recognized that I was a police officer, but the inspector yelled again, ‘which worthless CSP? Come and drag him out of the vehicle, push him out!’
“One of them entered my vehicle, and I displayed my ID card, but he just stood there watching. The inspector insisted, ‘we must take this vehicle. I must take you with me.’ I replied, ‘fine, wherever you want to go, let’s go.’ He refused and ordered them to pull me out of the vehicle. He opened my door, struck me on the shoulder, and began to drag me while his companions joined in beating me, ultimately pulling me out of the vehicle. There were ten of them.
“They pulled me out, beat me severely, took my keys, and drove off with my vehicle. As they were leaving, I quickly jumped into one of their vehicles. They drove me around Ikeja before finally arriving at the Alausa secretariat of their office where they parked my vehicle.
“When I arrived, one of the men who had previously worked with me at Isokoko, where I was the DPO, recognized me and alerted the others. I quickly explained that it wasn’t a matter of attention and shared my ordeal with them. They were taken aback and immediately conducted checks, discovering that my vehicle with serial number 17, SMK 424 YL had been brought in by a civilian named Kabiru who worked with them. I described the inspector who had arrested me, but they said they didn’t know his name. I was advised to wait, and that my vehicle would be released as soon as he arrived. I remained there from 6 PM to 9 PM.
When the inspector returned around 9 PM, he began to humiliate me again, calling me names like ‘useless man, useless CSP.’ He mocked me for driving a korope, saying, ‘Look at you, driving korope. If I retire as an inspector of police, I have already succeeded. I would never drive korope.’ I am unsure if driving a korope is a crime. They didn’t ask for any bribe from me. Since I started driving this commercial bus, I have ensured that I paid all my dues.
After a long period of insults and refusing to release my vehicle, I turned to leave in frustration when he told me to take my vehicle but warned that if I continued driving korope, he would still come after me, and no one could intervene to get my vehicle back.
That’s why I returned home and parked my vehicle because being beaten and dehumanized by a police inspector feels like being beaten by my grandchildren. The inspectorate rank is one I left behind in 2003, and the child I had that same year is now a graduate and getting married. What does he expect me to do? Should I just die? How much is my pension? As a CSP, it’s not even N40,000. Driving this korope is what allows me to feed my family of six every day.
After parking the vehicle, I went to the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja on January 9, 2026, to report my situation to the Provost. However, he informed me that since I couldn’t properly identify the inspector, there was little he could do. This was after I mentioned that the inspector’s name is Sylvester and that he is part of the Lekki Task Force team.
Feeling frustrated, I approached both the DCP Administration and AC X-squad. They expressed their sympathy and assured me they would locate him, but to this day, I am unaware of any actions taken. I am waiting for the command to bring him forward. I want him to explain what I did to deserve this treatment. What is my crime?
If the command claims that as a retired CSP, driving korope is an offense, I will just pack up and return to the village to die. I feel deeply demoralized by the lack of discipline in the force. How can an inspector of police rally people and instruct his subordinates, including civilians, to assault a CSP? He boasted about having hotels and enough wealth to retire comfortably.
During my time in the force, I valued my reputation. No one could accuse me of extortion or bribery. Yet, look at how I am treated by someone as high-ranking as an inspector of police.
