The Enugu State Police Command said it would prosecute officers attached to the Awkunanaw Police Station, Garriki, who were accused of extorting a traveller in the state.
The victim’s brother had on Saturday raised the alarm on social media with the handle @Mr_Robmichael1 stating that the officers stopped an inter-state commercial bus his brother was in.
He alleged that his brother was thereafter kidnapped and taken to an unknown village where the sum of N1m was extorted from him.
“Nigerian police officers in Enugu kidnapped my younger brother, took him to an unknown village and took N1m from him, just now. POS collected 50k as pos charge,” he wrote.
Providing further update on the development, @Mr_Robmichael1 revealed that the police officers were identified as having informed the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dan Ndukwe, and also reported to the Divisional Police Officer.
He added that the money was recovered from the officers after visiting their station.
“Police officers identified. We are (at) the police station, MTD Police Station, Garriki, Enugu, waiting for the refund. Thanks to @DanNdukwe and DPO of MTD police station.
Thanks to DPO Awkunanaw Police Station, Mr. Chukwuegu Longinus, immediately I reported the case to him, he drove straight to the checkpoint and after identifying the officers involved, he mandated them to refund. Omoh, it’s a mess here in Nigeria. 1 million naira recovered from Nigerian Police officers attached to Awkunanaw Police station, MTD, Garriki, Enugu.”
Reacting, Ndukwe described the extortion as unacceptable, stressing that the officers would be made to face the music.
“This is totally unacceptable and as I had informed @Mr_Robmichael1 via phone after the recovery, refunding the money isn’t enough. The police officers involved will have to dance to the music they tuned on. We don’t have a place for this in the NPF,” Ndukwe wrote on the X platform.
PUNCH Metro reported in September that the Lagos State Police Command said it has begun the trial of four police officers accused of extorting N1m from three members of the National Youth Service Corps in the Surulere area of the state.
An X user, Oluyemi Fasipe, shared that the officers, from Area C Police Command in Surulere, allegedly extorted the sum of N1m from three members of the National Youth Corps members.
It was gathered that the corps members were stopped along the Surulere expressway before a group of officers surrounded their vehicle and started conducting a search. An argument ensued between the corps members and the officers before the vehicle was driven to Area C police station where the extortion was said to have taken place.