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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

JUST IN: Police arrest four cops for extorting ICPC chairman of N53,000 in Abuja

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Four police officers have been arrested in Abuja for allegedly extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
  • The officers reportedly conducted an illegal stop-and-search operation, forcing the ICPC chairman to withdraw the money via POS.
  • The police command has vowed to punish the officers, with dismissal being a possibility, and reiterated the Inspector-General's directive against indiscriminate phone searches.

Four police officers are in custody in Abuja for allegedly extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, described the officers as "thieves" who tarnished the police uniform.

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.

— Ahmed Sanusi, FCT Commissioner of PoliceBriefing journalists in Abuja about the arrest of the four officers.

The incident occurred during an unauthorized checkpoint near the Banex area of Wuse. The officers, who had abandoned their duty posts, stopped the ICPC chairman and, without knowing his identity, forced him to withdraw the money using a Point of Sale (POS) operator. The N53,000, including transaction charges, was then shared among the officers.

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.

— Ahmed Sanusi, FCT Commissioner of PoliceDetailing the specifics of the extortion incident.

Commissioner Sanusi stated that investigations revealed the officers operated as a criminal gang. After declaring them wanted, the police arrested the gang leader, whose confession led to the apprehension of the other members. "We are going to make sure they are severely punished. Those that are going to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed," Sanusi assured.

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.

— Ahmed Sanusi, FCT Commissioner of PoliceDescribing the modus operandi of the arrested officers.

The police chief also reminded the public of the Inspector-General's prohibition on indiscriminate phone searches by officers. He advised citizens to refuse such unlawful demands and report them immediately. Sanusi urged the public to report any misconduct by police personnel, promising that offenders would be apprehended and sanctioned.

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.

— Ahmed Sanusi, FCT Commissioner of PoliceCommenting on the impending punishment for the officers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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