Police have arrested and detained three inspectors for allegedly extorting money from motorists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Rivers State Police Spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
how they were arrested
Iringe-Koko, Superintendent of Police, said the inspectors were arrested on Tuesday at Rumuokoro Flyover, Port Harcourt, during a monitoring exercise conducted by a team of officers of the state commissioner of police set up to check misconduct of police personnel.
The spokesperson identified the arrested inspectors as Sarah Anendei, Caroline Promise and Christiana Jatau, all women.
Iringe-Koko said two of the inspectors, Mses Promise and Jatau, were found extorting money from motorists without wearing their uniforms, which she said further contravened police regulations.
“His misconduct was captured on mobile phone video, providing clear evidence of his actions,” he said.
“During the immediate investigation at the scene, officers searched the officers and recovered the money taken from the motorists, marking a swift response to uphold ethical practices within the Rivers State Police Command.”
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Disciplinary actions
Iringe-Koko said the inspectors were being held at a police facility pending “appropriate disciplinary action” against them.
The spokesperson highlighted that the police command in the state reaffirmed its commitment to professional integrity.
He said the command has assured Nigerians that any state operative who violates police principles will be disciplined.
It's not the first time
Cases of police extortion in Nigeria have continued despite punishments by police authorities, such as dismissal from service.
The latest incident came less than two weeks after the Imo State Police launched an orderly courtroom trial of four other officers seen in a viral video clip extorting money from motorists in the state.
About two months ago, police officers in Bayelsa State extorted N3 million from a Nigerian man at gunpoint.
Officers were later arrested after the victim submitted a petition to law enforcement authorities.
The police officers returned the N3 million extorted from the victim about three weeks later.
The extortion of N3 million came about two months after police officers in Anambra State in late June allegedly extorted N810,000 from a resident of the state.
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After pressure from different sectors, the agents returned the money to the victim a few hours later.
In early June, an officer was fired in Abia State for allegedly shooting dead a businessman for refusing to bribe him.
In March, another officer was fired and two others were suspended for allegedly extorting $3,000 from two Nigerians in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In February, an Abraka Divisional Crimes officer in Delta State was removed from office for allegedly extorting more than N2 million.
This newspaper, later that month, reported the arrest of some officers at the Abuja Police Headquarters for allegedly extorting N30.3 million.