Policemen who allegedly extorted N3m from a Ghana-based Nigerian, Liberty Isaac at gunpoint along the Bayelsa axis of the East-West road have been arrested.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who revealed this on Thursday, said the men are attached to zone 16 command in Yenagoa.
Adejobi, who revealed the development on his X handle, said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the command to produce the men at the Force Headquarters (FHQ).
The Force spokesman stated that they will continue to sanitize the system and ensure justice is done in all cases brought to its notice.
Adejobi warned that the IGP will never condone or support any unprofessional, corrupt, or illegal act as the Force will continue to uphold its values and ethics.
"We will talk to the AIG in charge, this will be thoroughly looked into. I and many senior officers feel uncomfortable, with the way some policemen engage in unprofessional conduct, most especially forceful extortion, and most times, they even drop the name of the IGP in their illegal and inhumane act.
“IGP has condemned it and reiterated that he doesn’t need any money or gift from any officer as returns or settlement. The IGP will never condone or support any unprofessional, corrupt, or illegal act. The Force will continue to uphold its values and ethics.”
Liberty Isaac who hails from Imo State, said the policemen accosted him and two of his friends around Odi axis in Bayelsa and forced him at gunpoint to transfer N3m to them after manhandling him and threatening to shoot him.
Narrating the incident to journalists, he said he was in the country to attend a friend’s traditional marriage ceremony in Bayelsa when the policemen forced him to unlock his phone and on seeing a credit bank alert of N10m, they started beating him and threatened to kill him if he failed to transfer N6m to them.
"After attending the traditional wedding, we were driving back to Imo State and around Odi axis, and some policemen flagged us down. We stopped, and they asked me to unlock my phone. I asked them why and they said I must open my phone. I reminded them that the Inspector General of Police asked Nigerians not to allow policemen on the road to access their phones. Immediately I said that, and they started beating me.
"They handcuffed me and drove us away and continued beating me. They threatened to kill me if I refused to open it. I asked them to take me to a police station, but they refused.
"At that point, the beating increased. They said that if I didn’t give them N6m, they would kill all of us. Out of fear, I started negotiating with them and at the end of the day, I transferred N3m to them in two bank accounts they provided and drove with us and stopped us at Ahoda in Rivers State and drove back", he said.
