Details of how some marked policemen on road checkpoint allegedly extorted some amount of money from travellers on the road have emerged even as the police while confirming the development have given notice that the suspects have been arrested and undergoing orderly room trial.
The social media was abuzz yesterday of the indecent attitude of some police officers who mounted a checkpoint on the Owerri Mbaise Road and extorted money from them.
According to one of the victims who was on his way to Mbaise from the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, on arrival, he was picked by a relation en route Mbaise before the encountered the policemen.
A post in the social media alleges that “At about 1.50 pm today Tuesday, October 26, 202, I received a call from a Lagos resident whose brother had left Lagos for Owerri enroute to his village in Mbaise to attend a burial.
He reported that his brother had landed at the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri and was picked up by his relatives. They were on their way driving to Mbaise when a team of police officers flagged them down around Enyiogugu Mbaise and ordered them out of their vehicle for search. Although they found nothing on them that was incriminating, they accused them of being fraudsters and drove them away, pretending to be taking them to their station but ended up diverting them to a corner around the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, demanded the sum of five hundred thousand Naira but ended up extorting the sum of sixty thousand Naira which they made them transfer through a POS. They confiscated their phones and only released the phones after they had robbed them of their money.
‘Dear Okey. My younger brother Victor Aguwah who travelled home for burial through Owerri airport has just been arrested by SARS along airport road saying they are fraudsters. He landed about 12noon and had last communication with me about 1.38pm. They are taking them to their station. Victor is a computer scientist’.
I knew they couldn’t be SARS because there is no SARS anymore. But of course, the memory of SARS sticks and such criminal activities evoke that ugly memory.
They were arrested at Enyiogugu and they forced him into their vehicle. As he was still communicating with his brother, they snatched his phone from him.
They were around Dan Anyiam stadium when he called him again to inform him that they have settled them. He said they paid them 60k
He identified their vehicle number as NPF4605D
He texted his brother: ‘I was hit with Gun and slapped harshly for saying or doing nothing’.
Narrating his ordeal, he recalled ‘I landed at the airport around 12noon. Ebuka offered to come pick me so I waited.
Shortly he arrived with Junior and I entered into the vehicle. Getting to Enyiogugu we were flagged down and Ebuka explained to them that he had passed earlier as he just went to pick his uncle.
The embarrassment and molestation started immediately. They ordered all of us to alight from the vehicle. Vehicle was thoroughly searched and nothing was found. Then one of them insisted that he must search my bag. I told him it would not be nice searching my bag at the middle of the road. So they took my to a corner inside one of their vans and did a thorough search on my bag. The only found my clothes and drugs I bought for my mom. The person that was holding me asked me to go. So they took Ebuka to a corner and I stepped aside and was waiting.
Shortly one of them who appeared to have smoked very hard with his smoke and gin rushed me and asked me to hop into the armoured tank. Before I could ask what my offense was he slapped me harshly and hit my spine with the tip of his gun. As if that was not enough, he cocked his gun and threatened to shoot. I went inside the vehicle feeling humiliated intimidated and in great danger.
So they threatened to take us to station and ended up diverting us to Dan Anyịam stadium. Took our devices to make communication and intervention difficult for us. They demanded ₦500k and ended with 60k…then we were allowed to go after that.
The one that took the money from Ebuka changed to mufty and accusted him to POS terminal where the transaction was made.
I am still in disbelief and shock of this embarrassment and humiliation for no offense.
NPF 4605D is their armoured vehicle number. One of the men is Ifeanyi . He gave us his phone number afterwards as 08036938483′.
This is shocking and shameful.
I have forwarded this information to the CP and PPRO Imo State Police Command.
Okechukwu Nwanguma
Executive Director
RULAAC.
Based on this complaints which attracted wide condemnations, the police in reaction states that it has commenced investigation into the matter.
A statement by CSP Michael Abatam Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest of the suspects.
Abatam statement reads “The Imo State Police Command has commenced investigations into a report making rounds online where Police personnel were reportedly alleged to have extorted the sum of Sixty Thousand Naira (N60,000.00) from one Victor Aguwah travelling from the Sam Mbakwe Airport to his home town in Mbaise.
“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command, CP Rabiu Hussaini, psc, while condemning the incident, confirmed that the Police officers have been identified, arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID), where they will be made to face disciplinary action in an orderly room trial (Police Internal Disciplinary Action).
The Command has established contact with the victim through his cell phone and he is currently cooperating with the command in seeing that he gets justice.
“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State command, while commending the good people of Imo State, assured them of the Command’s commitment under his watch, in ensuring that no Police officer found in corrupt practices will be spared. He assured all and sundry of making the outcome of the investigation and trial public”.
