The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested four police officers accused of extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an illegal stop-and-search operation in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, said the officers had abandoned their official assignments and unlawfully set up a checkpoint around the Banex area in Wuse, where they intercepted the ICPC chairman without recognising him.
Sanusi alleged that the officers compelled Aliyu to withdraw N53,000 through a Point of Sale operator and collected the money before sharing it among themselves.
“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.
“They extorted him of N53,000. They took him to a POS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges and they shared the money among themselves.”
The police commissioner said preliminary findings indicated that the suspects had left their respective divisions to carry out the illegal operation.
“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.
He added that investigators first arrested the group’s leader after declaring the suspects wanted, and his confession helped police track down 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,” he added.
Sanusi also reminded the public that police personnel are prohibited from searching citizens’ mobile phones during routine patrols, urging anyone confronted with such a demand to report the incident through the command’s emergency lines.
“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,” Sanusi said.
He assured residents that the command would continue to discipline officers involved in extortion and other forms of misconduct.
“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,” Sanusi said.
