Four police officers have been detained by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command for allegedly extorting ₦53,000 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.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the development on Monday while briefing journalists in Abuja. He described the officers as “thieves” who had no business wearing the police uniform, saying they had abandoned their official duty posts to engage in criminal activities.
According to Sanusi, the officers set up an unauthorised checkpoint around the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly stopped and extorted the ICPC chairman without knowing his identity. He said the officers forced Aliyu to withdraw ₦53,000 through a Point of Sale (POS) operator and even made him pay the transaction charges before sharing the money among themselves.
“They extorted him of ₦53,000. They took him to a POS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges and they shared the money among themselves,” the police commissioner said.
Sanusi explained that investigations revealed the officers had left their respective duty posts and formed what he described as a criminal gang to operate an illegal checkpoint for the purpose of extorting motorists. He said the command declared the officers wanted before arresting their alleged gang leader, whose confession led investigators to the remaining suspects.
The commissioner assured residents that all the officers involved would face disciplinary action, including dismissal where necessary. He stressed that the police command would not tolerate misconduct or abuse of office by its personnel.
Sanusi also reminded officers and the public that the Inspector-General of Police has prohibited indiscriminate searches of citizens’ mobile phones during patrols. He urged Nigerians to reject unlawful demands to inspect their phones and immediately report such incidents through the police emergency lines.
He further encouraged residents of the Federal Capital Territory to promptly report cases of extortion, harassment and other forms of police misconduct, assuring that officers found guilty of violating the law would be identified and sanctioned in line with police regulations.
