Four officers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have been arrested after 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 checkpoint operation in Abuja.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed on Monday that the officers were unaware they had stopped the nation’s anti-corruption chief when they allegedly demanded money from him in the Banex area.
According to Sanusi, the officers took Aliyu to a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, where he withdrew ₦53,000, paid the transaction charges himself, and the money was allegedly shared among the officers.
“I must say here too that we have about four policemen in custody as we speak who successfully extorted somebody of high importance… In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC,” he said.
The commissioner revealed that investigations showed the officers had abandoned their assigned duty posts to operate an unauthorised checkpoint before they were tracked down and arrested.
Sanusi said the officers now face possible dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force as well as criminal prosecution.
He also reiterated the Inspector-General of Police’s directive prohibiting officers from searching citizens’ mobile phones during routine patrols, urging members of the public to report any officer who violates the order.
