Four officers accused of illegally arresting and extorting a civilian have been fined more than N31 million by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, acknowledged this and refuted claims that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was protecting a cartel that was smuggling fresh, dubious Naira notes into the market.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Peter Ejike, Inspector Ekeinde Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all assigned to Zone 7, Abuja, were involved in the August 26, 2023, incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Under the direction of Inspector Okafor, the police illegally detained Andrew Ejah, a worker for Fatfad Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting N74,950,000 for his customers, as directed by DSP Ejike. They held him in Zone 7 headquarters in Abuja and falsely claimed that N31,790,000 had been retrieved.
In order to stifle the case, the officers allegedly requested a portion of the money. The officers reiterated that only N31,790,000 had been retrieved when approached by the money’s owners, and they asked for a cut to jeopardize the investigation.
This infuriated the owners of the money, who petitioned the Force Headquarters in Abuja, which led to an investigation by the IGP Monitoring Unit. Although N31,790,000 was recovered from the policemen as a result of the investigation, there are still questions about how much was actually taken from Mr. Ejah.
The case highlights continued attempts to fight corruption in the police force, and the officers have been sanctioned. In addressing such incidents, the NPF reassured the public of its dedication to accountability and openness.