East Jakarta Metro Police Chief Denies Cakung Police Arresting Student Demonstrators Of TNI Bill And Asking For Ransom

Student action of the TNI Bill demonstrators in front of the DPR RI Building/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

East Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Kombes Pol Nicolas Ary Lilipaly, denied reports that the Cakung Police arrested students participating in the TNI Bill demonstration and asked for a ransom of Rp. 12 million. This statement was made by Nicolas when confirmed in Jakarta, Monday, March 24, 2025.

"We convey that the Cakung Police have never arrested five students, one of whom is Muhammad Nabil Rafiudin, related to a demonstration to ratify the TNI Bill in Central Jakarta," said Nicolas, ANTARA, Monday, March 24.

Previously, information circulated on social media from an X (Twitter) account named @adityasetion_ which claimed to be a friend of five students who claimed to be secured by the Cakung Police. The account stated that the Cakung Police requested a ransom of Rp. 12 million to release the five students.

However, Nicolas emphasized that the news was a hoax. According to him, the Cakung Police on February 16, 2025 only secured four people related to brawls in the Cakung area, and had nothing to do with the demonstration of the TNI Bill which took place in Central Jakarta.

"On February 16, 2025, the Cakung Police arrested four people related to the brawl in Cakung, far from the demonstrations in the jurisdiction of the Central Jakarta Police. The four suspects are currently undergoing the investigation process," explained Nicolas.

Furthermore, Nicolas invited the public to report to the Profession and Security (Propam) of the East Jakarta Metro Police or Propam Polda Metro Jaya if there were allegations of extortion from members of the Cakung Police.

"If you feel that there has been abuse of authority by members of the Cakung Police as suspected, please report it to the East Jakarta Metro Police Propam or Propam Polda Metro Jaya," he said.

He also appealed to the public not to be easily provoked by information that was not yet clear. The police will investigate the accounts spreading the fake news so that similar incidents do not happen again.

"We will investigate the account so as not to repeat its actions in the future," said Nicolas.