Four Abuja police officers arrested for allegedly extorting ICPC chairman

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has detained four officers accused of extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an unauthorised stop-and-search exercise in Abuja.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, July 20, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, condemned the officers, describing them as “thieves” who had disgraced the police force through their actions.

Investigations by the police showed that the officers allegedly abandoned their assigned duty posts, converged around the Banex area of Wuse and erected an illegal checkpoint where they targeted motorists for extortion. Unaware of the identity of their victim, they reportedly stopped the ICPC chairman and compelled him to obtain cash through a Point of Sale (POS) operator.

According to Sanusi, Aliyu withdrew N53,000, paid the transaction charges and handed over the money, which the officers allegedly shared among themselves.

The police boss disclosed that the command declared the officers wanted before tracking down their leader. His confession, he said, led investigators to the remaining members of the group.

“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.”

The commissioner also reminded officers and members of the public that the Inspector-General of Police had outlawed the indiscriminate search of citizens’ mobile phones during patrols.

“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. 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.”