Four police officers operating within the Federal Capital Territory have been taken into custody for allegedly extorting N53,000 from Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), the esteemed Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The arrests stem from an illegal stop-and-search operation conducted in Abuja, during which the officers reportedly coerced the senior official into withdrawing cash.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, publicly confirmed the detentions on Monday, expressing profound disappointment and labelling the culprits as “thieves” unfit to wear the police uniform. Commissioner Sanusi elaborated that the officers had abandoned their official duty posts to establish an unauthorized checkpoint near the Banex area of Wuse. Unaware of their victim’s prominent identity, they proceeded to extort the ICPC Chairman.
Commissioner Sanusi Condemns Act, Vows Severe Sanctions
“I must say here too that 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,” Sanusi stated during his briefing. He detailed how Dr. Aliyu was compelled to withdraw the N53,000 through a Point of Sale (POS) operator, even covering the transaction charges, before the officers divided the ill-gotten funds among themselves.
Investigations conducted by the FCT Police Command revealed a pattern of criminal behaviour. The apprehended officers, described as a “gang of criminals,” had deliberately formed a syndicate, leaving their assigned divisions to set up illegal checkpoints aimed at extorting unsuspecting motorists. “They are a gang of criminals who left various divisions, clustered together, moved to Wuse Banex and created a checkpoint where they perpetrated this act before fleeing,” Sanusi added.
Tracking and Disciplinary Action
The command initiated a manhunt for the officers, eventually apprehending their gang leader. His subsequent confession was instrumental in leading to the arrest of the remaining members of the syndicate. Commissioner Sanusi affirmed the police’s commitment to ensuring justice, declaring, “We got all of them. We are going to make sure they are severely punished. Those that are going to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed.” This underscores the command’s zero-tolerance stance on internal corruption.
Public Alert: IGP Directives on Phone Searches Reiterated
In light of this incident and ongoing efforts to uphold police integrity, the Commissioner took the opportunity to remind the public about the Inspector-General of Police’s directive prohibiting the indiscriminate search of citizens’ mobile phones by officers on patrol. He urged residents to firmly refuse any unlawful demands to search their phones on the roadside and to promptly report such incidents using the police emergency lines.
“You cannot stop anybody on the road and ask the person to bring out his phone for search. If any policeman stops you and asks to search your phone, don’t agree. Call the police emergency lines and we will ask them why,” Sanusi advised. He further encouraged the public to report any instances of extortion or misconduct by police personnel, promising that all offenders would be diligently tracked down and face appropriate sanctions.
“We will still enforce the IG’s directive. Some of them are on the task because they are criminally minded. They want to perpetrate such acts. If we get them, they will face disciplinary actions and will be made to face the consequences,” Sanusi concluded, reinforcing the command’s dedication to rooting out bad apples and fostering a trustworthy police force.