By Chuks Collins, Awka
The Anambra State Police Commissioner, Okoye Orutugu has ordered the immediate arrest, detention and investigation of six police officers who allegedly extorted N200,000 from an Onitsha based trader under gunpoint.
The six officers, reportedly attached to the Okpoko Police Division, Onitsha, allegedly extorted the victim of ₦200,000 using a PoS operator.
Their arrest and detention followed a widely circulated video report of the incident where the wife of the victim narrated how her husband, names withheld, was reportedly threatened, harassed, traumatized, handcuffed and extorted after being stopped by some policemen while on his way home from Relief Market, Upper Iweka area in Onitsha, where he went to buy soft drinks with his minibus.
According to the wife, the incident occurred under the ever-busy Upper Iweka flyover bridge axis of the Onitsha-Awka-Enugu Federal Expressway, over the weekend.
In the widely circulated explicit video, the victim’s wife said her husband was intercepted under the Upper Iweka flyover in Onitsha by the police officers, who demanded the particulars and documents of his vehicle, which he presented without hesitation.
The said documents were found to be complete and valid.
She said despite having valid particulars of the vehicle, the police personnel allegedly arrested her husband, seized his particulars and ordered him to pay them ₦500,000), before they would release him and his vehicle.
After long hours delay and much pleading, the officers eventually asked to transfer ₦200,000 into a yet-to-disclosed account through a nearby PoS operator to avoid being detained, delayed further or killed.
A voice-over in the video said the police personnel took the victim to the PoS operator, where the money was transferred, stating that the police personnel always forced other victims in the area to pay such an amount daily to avoid further consequences.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ikenga Tochukwu, “The Command has also initiated steps to arrest the alleged POS operator whose involvement suggests possible conspiracy and colluding in the unfortunate incident.
“Furthermore, through the Divisional Police Officer, Okpoko, the Command invites and awaits the victim in the complaint to come forward to provide additional testimony to aid the investigation and guide further disciplinary action.”
He assured the public that the Anambra State Police Command is treating the matter with the seriousness it deserves, adding that further developments will be made public.
