Some policemen attached to the Enugu State Police Command have been arrested and are currently under investigation for allegedly extorting ₦1 million from a traveller in the state.
The incident was brought to light by the victim’s brother, who took to X.com (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, December 7, 2024, sharing the distressing details of the case. He claimed that his brother, a passenger on an inter-state commercial bus, was stopped by police officers from the Awkunanaw Police Station in Garriki, Enugu.
The officers reportedly kidnapped the victim, taking him to an undisclosed village, where they extorted the sum of ₦1 million from him. The brother further revealed that a POS (Point of Sale) machine was used to withdraw an additional ₦50,000 as a processing fee.
In his tweet, the victim’s brother wrote: “Nigerian police officers in Enugu kidnapped my younger brother, took him to an unknown village, and extorted ₦1 million from him. POS collected an additional ₦50,000 as a processing charge.” Following the public outcry, the case was reported to the Police Public Relations Officer for Enugu State, Dan Ndukwe, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area.
The police authorities quickly moved to address the situation, and after an internal investigation, the extorted ₦1 million was recovered from the officers involved. “We are currently at the MTD Police Station, Garriki, Enugu, waiting for the refund,” the brother of the victim posted in a follow-up tweet. “Thanks to @DanNdukwe and the DPO of MTD Police Station, as well as DPO Mr. Chukwuegu Longinus of Awkunanaw Police Station. After I reported the incident, he immediately rushed to the checkpoint, identified the officers, and ordered them to refund the money.”
In response, Dan Ndukwe condemned the actions of the officers, calling the extortion “unacceptable.” He assured that while the victim had been refunded, the officers involved would face serious consequences. “This is totally unacceptable. As I informed @Mr_Robmichael1 after the recovery, simply returning the stolen money is not enough. The officers involved will face appropriate disciplinary actions. The Nigeria Police Force will not tolerate such misconduct,” Ndukwe stated on X. This case follows a similar incident in Lagos, where four police officers from the Area C Command in Surulere were arrested for allegedly extorting ₦1 million from three members of the National Youth Service Corps.
The corps members had been stopped by the officers, who reportedly searched their vehicle before driving them to the police station, where the extortion occurred.
