The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four police officers accused of extorting ₦53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), at an illegal checkpoint in Abuja….
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four police officers accused of extorting ₦53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), at an illegal checkpoint in Abuja.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the incident while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday, describing the officers as “criminals” who have no place in the Nigeria Police Force.
According to Sanusi, the officers abandoned their official duty posts and set up an unauthorised stop-and-search checkpoint around the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly extorted motorists.
He said the officers stopped the ICPC chairman, unaware of his identity, and forced him to withdraw ₦53,000 from a nearby Point of Sale (POS) operator before sharing the money among themselves.
“They extorted the Chairman of the ICPC of ₦53,000. They took him to a POS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges and they shared the money among themselves,” Sanusi said.
The police commissioner said investigations revealed that the suspects had formed an extortion syndicate, operating outside their assigned duty posts to prey on unsuspecting road users.
He said the command declared the officers wanted before arresting the alleged gang leader, whose confession led investigators to the other three suspects.
“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,” he said.
Sanusi also reiterated that police officers have no authority to stop members of the public and search their mobile phones during patrols.
“You cannot stop anybody on the road and ask the person to bring out his phone for 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,” he said.
He assured residents of the FCT that the command would continue to identify and punish officers involved in extortion, illegal checkpoints and other forms of misconduct, stressing that corrupt personnel would not be tolerated in the force.