JUST IN: Four police officers arrested for allegedly extorting ICPC Chairman

JUST IN: Four police officers arrested over alleged extortion of ICPC Chairman in Abuja

Four officers of the Nigeria Police Force have been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command for allegedly extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an illegal stop-and-search operation in Abuja.

The officers, who reportedly did not know the identity of their victim, allegedly forced the ICPC chairman to withdraw the money through a Point of Sale (PoS) terminal before sharing the cash among themselves.

Confirming the development while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale Sanusi, described the suspects as “criminals in uniform” who had abandoned their lawful duties to engage in extortion.

According to him, the officers mounted an unauthorised checkpoint around the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly stopped motorists and extorted unsuspecting members of the public.

“We have about four policemen in custody who successfully extorted somebody of high importance, unknown to them that this person is a highly placed person in society. In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC,” Sanusi said.

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The commissioner disclosed that the officers compelled Dr Aliyu to visit a nearby PoS operator, withdraw N53,000, pay the transaction charges and hand over the money before they allegedly shared it among themselves.

“They extorted N53,000 from him. They took him to a PoS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges, and they shared the money among themselves,” he added.

Sanusi said investigations revealed that the officers had left their various duty posts and formed an illegal patrol team that operated around Banex solely to extort road users.

“They are a gang of criminals who left various divisions, clustered together, moved to Wuse Banex and created a checkpoint where they perpetrated this act before fleeing,” he said.

According to the police commissioner, the command immediately launched an investigation after receiving information about the incident. The officers were declared wanted before investigators arrested the alleged gang leader, whose confession led to the arrest of the remaining members of the syndicate.

He assured the public that the suspects would face severe disciplinary measures, including dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force where appropriate, as well as prosecution if criminal offences are established.

“We got all of them. We are going to make sure they are severely punished. Those that are going to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed,” Sanusi stated.

The commissioner also reaffirmed the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, prohibiting officers from carrying out indiscriminate searches of citizens’ mobile phones during patrols or roadside operations.

He stressed that no police officer has the authority to compel members of the public to surrender their mobile phones for inspection without lawful justification.

“You cannot stop anybody on the road and ask the person to bring out his phone for a search. If any policeman stops you and asks to search your phone, don’t agree. Call the police emergency lines, and we will ask them why,” Sanusi warned.

He encouraged residents of the Federal Capital Territory and Nigerians across the country to promptly report cases of extortion, harassment and other forms of police misconduct, assuring that the command would continue to identify, investigate and sanction erring officers.

The incident comes as the Nigeria Police Force intensifies internal efforts to eliminate corruption, illegal roadblocks and professional misconduct within its ranks. Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun has repeatedly warned officers against extortion, abuse of office and violations of citizens’ rights, insisting that personnel found engaging in criminal conduct will face strict disciplinary action.

The alleged extortion of the nation’s anti-corruption chief has further renewed public concern over illegal stop-and-search operations and highlights the need for sustained police reforms, accountability and respect for the rights of all citizens, regardless of their status or identity.

JUST IN: Four police officers arrested for allegedly extorting ICPC Chairman