The Nigerian Police Force has revealed how a group of police officers fraudulently obtained ₦43,160,000 from a cargo worker at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja last year.
A statement from the NPF Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi, on Wednesday detailed the incident, which occurred in August 2023, and implicated Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all assigned to the Zone 7 Headquarters.
The officers, led by Inspector Okafor and acting on the instructions of DSP Peter Ejike, unlawfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting ₦74,950,000 on behalf of clients.
Ogunjobi explained that the officers acted without proper authorization, detained Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters in Abuja, and falsely claimed that they had recovered ₦31,790,000.
The officers also demanded a portion of the funds in exchange for suppressing the case.
When contacted by the alleged owners of the money, the officers stated that they had recovered ₦31,790,000 from the suspect and requested a percentage of it to hinder the investigation.
Outraged by the officers’ actions, the money owners filed a petition with the Force Headquarters in Abuja, leading to the matter being referred to the IGP Monitoring Unit for investigation.
During the investigation, the ₦31,790,000 was recovered from the officers, who claimed it was the total amount seized from Andrew Ejah during his arrest.
Further inquiries revealed that the officers had taken photographs of the suspect and the money at the time of arrest but later claimed their phone was damaged and lost in an attempt to hide their misconduct.
Forensic intelligence revealed that the officers had conspired to steal part of the money, amounting to ₦43,160,000. One of them was tasked with moving the cash out of the FCT for safekeeping until the investigation died down.
In their efforts to cover their tracks, the officers spread false narratives and misinformation through various online blogs and newspaper outlets.
“The Nigeria Police Force has noted with concern the recent allegations circulating in the media, suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, is shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The NPF categorically refutes these claims, condemning them as baseless and orchestrated attempts to tarnish the IGP’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.
“The incident in question, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 26, 2023, has been thoroughly investigated. The officers involved – DSP Peter Ejike (a lawyer in charge of Zone 7 Legal Section), Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters – were found culpable and sanctioned appropriately.
“These officers have been suspended, being found culpable of serious misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, illegal duty, and acts unbecoming of a police officer. The movement of such an amount of money by the alleged cargo company could have been investigated and handled professionally by the police, but the officers were carried away by greed and therefore acted criminally and unprofessionally.
“It is pertinent to note that the circulating false narrative is a sponsored misinformation cultivated by mischief makers who seek to divert attention from the criminal acts of the police officers by attempting to join issues with the Inspector-General of Police. The affected officers will be prosecuted upon conclusion of due legal and administrative procedures,” the statement added.
The NPF urged the public and the media to refrain from spreading this false narrative aimed at tainting the reputation of the Inspector-General of Police.
It said such misinformation undermines public trust and detracts from the ongoing efforts of the current administration to reform the Police Force by eradicating unprofessional elements.