The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has detained four police 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 illegal stop-and-search operation in Abuja.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the incident on Monday while briefing journalists in Abuja, describing the officers as “criminals” who had no place in the Nigeria Police Force.
According to Sanusi, the officers abandoned their assigned duty posts, assembled unlawfully, and set up an illegal checkpoint in the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly targeted motorists for extortion.
Unaware of the identity of their victim, the officers reportedly forced the ICPC chairman to withdraw N53,000 through a Point of Sale (POS) operator, with Aliyu also paying the transaction charges before the money was allegedly shared among the officers.
“They extorted the Chairman of the ICPC of N53,000. They took him to a POS operator, where he withdrew the money, paid the charges, and they shared the proceeds among themselves,” the commissioner said.
Sanusi revealed that following the incident, the command declared the officers wanted before apprehending the gang leader. His confession subsequently led to the arrest of the remaining members of the group.
“They are a gang of criminals who abandoned their various duty posts, came together, moved to Wuse Banex, and established an illegal checkpoint where they committed the offence before fleeing,” he added.
The commissioner assured that disciplinary measures would be taken against the officers, including dismissal from service where applicable.
“We have all of them in custody, and we will ensure they face severe punishment. Those who deserve dismissal will certainly be dismissed,” he said.
Sanusi also reiterated that the Inspector-General of Police has prohibited officers from conducting indiscriminate searches of citizens’ mobile phones during patrols.
He urged residents to reject any unlawful request by police officers to inspect their phones on the roadside and to immediately report such incidents through the police emergency lines.
“You cannot stop anyone on the road and demand to search their phone. If any police officer attempts to do so, refuse and call the police emergency lines. We will hold them accountable,” he said.
The police commissioner further encouraged members of the public to report cases of extortion and other forms of misconduct by police personnel, assuring that offenders would be identified and brought to justice.
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