Four policemen are currently facing orderly room trial and possible dismissal after allegedly setting up an illegal checkpoint in Abuja where they extorted the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Musa Aliyu, of N53,000.
The Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the incident on Monday while parading suspects at the FCT command.
Sanusi said the officers abandoned their lawful duty posts, converged at an unauthorised checkpoint around the Wuse-Banex axis and turned themselves into an extortion ring, preying on unsuspecting motorists.
Unknown to them, one of their victims was the ICPC chairman.
According to the CP, the officers compelled the anti-graft chief to source money before escorting him to a Point of Sale operator where N53,000, including transaction charges, was withdrawn and shared among them.
He said the victim later reported the incident, prompting an intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of the gang leader and subsequently the other members of the syndicate.
“They extorted the Chairman of the ICPC of N53,000. He calmly cooperated with them, arranged for someone to transfer the money, and they took him to a POS terminal where the cash was withdrawn and shared among themselves,” Sanusi said.
He added, “We declared them wanted, arrested their leader, and during interrogation he confessed and identified the others. We tracked down and arrested the remaining members of the gang.”
The Commissioner condemned the conduct of the officers, warning that the Command would no longer tolerate personnel who abuse the powers entrusted to them.
“You have to choose to be one: either a policeman or a thief. You cannot be both at the same time. If you fail to choose, your actions will determine where you belong,” he said.
Sanusi also reiterated the Inspector-General of Police’s directive prohibiting indiscriminate searches of citizens’ mobile phones by officers on patrol, stressing that no policeman has the authority to stop members of the public on the road and demand access to their phones on suspicion of cybercrime or internet fraud.
“A phone can only be searched as part of lawful investigation after a suspect has been arrested for a specific offence and brought to the police station. No officer should search phones on the road,” he said.
The CP urged residents to reject unlawful demands and immediately alert the Command through its emergency lines whenever such incidents occur.
On security operations, Sanusi announced that police operatives foiled a kidnapping attempt in Gawuraka, along the Niger-FCT border, and confirmed the rescue of a female kidnap victim abducted in Karshi after operatives tracked the kidnappers through routes linking the FCT and Nasarawa State.
The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of a major logistics supplier to kidnappers operating around Mpape, who supplied hard drugs and other materials to criminal gangs. His arrest led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, large quantities of tramadol, suspected cocaine, cannabis, cash and other exhibits.
Sanusi also paraded suspects accused of hijacking Bolt and Uber vehicles, as well as suspected “one-chance” robbers and armed robbery suspects. He said all suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to professionalism, discipline and intelligence-driven policing.
