Four police officers attached to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have been arrested for allegedly extorting ₦53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), after forcing him to withdraw the money at an illegal checkpoint in Abuja.
The officers, who reportedly did not realise they were confronting Nigeria’s anti-corruption chief, allegedly compelled him to visit a nearby Point of Sale (POS) operator, withdraw the cash, pay the transaction charges, and surrender the money before sharing the proceeds among themselves.
The shocking incident was disclosed on Monday by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, during a media briefing in Abuja, where he described the suspects as “criminals” who have no place in the Nigeria Police Force.
According to Sanusi, investigations revealed that the officers abandoned their official duty posts and assembled around the Banex area in Wuse, where they mounted an unauthorised stop-and-search checkpoint to extort motorists.
He said Dr. Aliyu became one of their victims after they intercepted him and demanded money.
“They extorted the Chairman of the ICPC of ₦53,000. They took him to a POS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges and they shared the money among themselves,” Sanusi said.
The Commissioner explained that the officers had allegedly formed an organised extortion syndicate, operating outside their designated assignments to prey on unsuspecting members of the public.
He disclosed that after complaints were received, the command declared the suspects wanted before arresting the alleged gang leader, whose confession led investigators to the other three officers.
“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,” he stated.
Sanusi also reiterated that police personnel have no legal authority to stop citizens on the road and demand access to their mobile phones, stressing that such conduct contravenes the directives of the Inspector-General of Police.
“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,” he warned.
The police commissioner assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory that the command remains committed to identifying and flushing out corrupt officers involved in extortion, illegal checkpoints and other forms of misconduct.
He maintained that the Nigeria Police Force would not tolerate personnel who abuse their office for personal gain, pledging that those found culpable would face the full weight of disciplinary measures.
