Extortion: Lagos Police arrest four officers as CP orders room trial

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four Inspectors alleged to have harassed and extorted N70, 000 from a 16-year-old student, named Segun, on January 18 at NGAB Junction in Isheri area of the state while driving in a Toyota Corolla car.

The picture of the policemen, who was captured in the act, had gone viral on the social media and attracted the Complaint Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at Force Headquarters, Abuja to track the policemen for necessary action.

The matter was subsequently referred to the state Police Command for further action. The Police Inspectors arrested are Emmanuel Michael, male, 40 (223329); Sunday Odubiyi, male, 40 (146504); Lawrence Amedu, male, 39 (256496) and Aroye Dickson, male, 40 (255043).

The state Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said “after due interrogation, the policemen confessed to the crime and refunded the N70, 000 to the student on bond, which forms the key credible evidence in the case.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has condemned the act, saying it was detrimental to the image of the Force and counterproductive to the ongoing reform agenda of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

He has, however, ordered an immediate orderly room trial of the officers to serve as deterrent to other criminally-minded personnel in the command and beyond.

Odumosu also warned officers and men that the Command would spread its tentacles in fighting against such criminal, unprofessional and disgusting acts amongst Police personnel in Lagos State.

He also assured the general public of people-oriented and community-based policing style in the state, assuring that justice would be done in Segun’s case.