FCT Police Officers Busted After Shocking Extortion Scandal Rocks Abuja

(Four police officers. Photo by Arise News)

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested four of its own officers over allegations that they extorted N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an unlawful stop-and-search exercise in Abuja.

FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, made this known on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja, referring to the affected officers as "thieves" who were unfit to wear the police uniform.

Sanusi explained that the officers had left their assigned duty posts and regrouped in the Banex area of Wuse, where they set up an illegal checkpoint. He said they extorted the ICPC boss without realising who he was.

He disclosed that the officers forced the ICPC chairman to withdraw N53,000 through a Point of Sale operator, made him bear the transaction fee, and then split the money among themselves.

According to him, "we have about four policemen in custody as we speak who successfully extorted somebody of high importance, unknown to them that this person is a highly placed person in society. In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC."

He added that the officers took their victim to withdraw the funds, had him cover the charges, and shared the proceeds afterward.

The police chief said further investigation showed that the officers had banded together into a criminal syndicate after abandoning their respective divisions to carry out the operation, noting that they "left various divisions, clustered together, moved to Wuse Banex and created a checkpoint where they perpetrated this act before fleeing."

He said the command had declared the officers wanted following the incident, and that the arrest of the syndicate's ringleader led to the eventual capture of the rest of the group.

Sanusi assured that the erring officers would face strict disciplinary action, stating that "those that are going to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed."

The commissioner also reaffirmed the Inspector-General of Police's directive banning the arbitrary search of citizens' phones by officers on patrol duty.

He urged members of the public to resist such unlawful demands, saying anyone stopped and asked to submit their phone for search on the road should refuse and instead call the police emergency line to report the matter.

He further appealed to Nigerians to speak up promptly whenever they experience extortion or other forms of misconduct by police personnel, giving assurance that any officer found culpable would be traced and made to face appropriate sanctions.