The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has detained four officers for allegedly extorting ₦53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an unauthorised stop-and-search operation in Abuja.
Naija News reports that the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday.
Sanusi described the detained officers as “thieves,” insisting that personnel involved in criminal conduct had no place in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The commissioner said preliminary investigations showed that the officers abandoned their assigned duty posts and converged around the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly mounted an illegal checkpoint.
According to him, the policemen stopped and extorted the ICPC chairman without knowing his identity.
Sanusi said, “I must say here too that we have about four policemen in custody as we speak 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.”
The police commissioner alleged that the officers compelled Aliyu to withdraw ₦53,000 from a Point of Sale (POS) operator.
He said the ICPC chairman was also made to pay the transaction charges before the policemen divided the money among themselves.
“They extorted him of ₦53,000. They took him to a POS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges, and they shared the money among themselves,” he said.
Sanusi said the officers acted outside their official duties and operated as a criminal group targeting motorists.
“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 added.
Gang Leader’s Confession Exposes Others
The commissioner said the command declared the officers wanted after receiving information about the incident.
He explained that the suspected leader of the group was arrested first, while information obtained from him led investigators to the remaining officers.
“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 said.
He assured residents that the command would not shield officers found guilty of extortion or other forms of misconduct.
Sanusi also reminded police personnel that the Inspector-General of Police had prohibited indiscriminate searches of citizens’ mobile phones during patrols.
He urged residents not to surrender their phones to officers seeking to conduct unlawful roadside searches.
The commissioner said, “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.”
Residents Urged To Report Misconduct
The commissioner encouraged members of the public to promptly report cases of police extortion, harassment and other forms of misconduct.
He promised that officers implicated in such acts would be identified, investigated and sanctioned.
Sanusi said, “We will still enforce the IG’s directive. Some of them are on the task because they are criminally minded. They want to perpetrate such acts.
“If we get them, they will face disciplinary actions and will be made to face the consequences.”
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