Five Rivers police inspectors kicked out for armed robbery

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed five inspectors attached to the Rivers State Police Command over their alleged involvement in a violent criminal syndicate accused of armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy in Port Harcourt and other parts of the state.

Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, disclosed this on Friday while parading eight police inspectors at the command headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.

According to Placid, the dismissed officers — John Okoi, Eyibo Asuquo, Udo Ndipmong, Bright Nwachukwu and Anele Ikechukwu — were part of a wider criminal network allegedly operated by serving policemen who used official cover to abduct, rob and extort unsuspecting residents.

Placid said, “Five of the suspects attached to the Rivers State Command have been dismissed after undergoing orderly room trial, while three others attached to Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, will face further disciplinary action and prosecution in court. Three additional suspects linked to the operations are currently at large.”

He added that investigations revealed the officers operated in Sienna buses under the guise of patrol duties, during which they allegedly intercepted residents, carried out illegal stop-and-search operations, forced victims to unlock mobile phones and accessed bank and cryptocurrency accounts to steal funds running into millions of naira.

The Force spokesperson said intelligence-led investigations uncovered a pattern of abductions, assaults and extortion carried out between September 2025 and January 2026 across parts of Rivers State.

He said victims were allegedly taken to isolated locations where they were beaten and forced to transfer money under duress.

Placid further disclosed that the case involving the three officers attached to Zone 16 Headquarters was triggered by petitions submitted through the Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation on behalf of victims.

He said items recovered from the suspects include three Toyota Sienna vehicles and ₦7,338,800 traced to the operations.

Investigators also linked the group to an incident in which a victim was allegedly abducted along Igbo-Etche Road, Port Harcourt, and forced to transfer ₦4.5 million from his account and $1,742 from a cryptocurrency wallet.

Placid said the Force had also identified supervisory lapses that enabled the misconduct, adding that disciplinary actions were being extended to officers who failed to enforce operational directives.

He stressed that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to internal cleansing and accountability, noting that the actions of the dismissed officers do not represent the institution.

“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to assure members of the public that these acts are criminal aberrations. The Force remains committed to discipline, transparency and the protection of citizens’ rights,” he said.