Alleged Extortion of N6.5m by Police Officers: Victims Narrate Ordeals

Alleged Extortion of N6.5m by Police Officers: Victims Narrate Ordeals

Tuesday, September 5, 2023 4:01 pm


Police Officers paraded for allegedly extorting a total sum of N6.5million from victims they abducted in Omoku,Rivers State

Police Officers paraded for allegedly extorting a total sum of N6.5million from victims they abducted in Omoku,Rivers State

*We were abducted on gunpoint, they extorted N4.5million from me, another N2million from my colleague- Victim

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The victims of the alleged extortion of N6.5 million by Police officers who were paraded by the Rivers State Police Command on Monday 4th, September 2023, have narrated their ordeal to journalists.

Promise Patrick, one of the victims who spoke on behalf of others said on 31st July 2023, the Police officers took him and others from Ikiri junction, Omoku, headquarters of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local government area of Rivers State.

Mr Patrick said while he was driving, the Police Officers who were six in number and heavily armed crossed him and others in his vehicle and abducted them in their Sienna car.

Mr Patrick explained that from Omoku, the officers took them to numerous places, from Rivers to Bayelsa and Delta states.

He disclosed that they slept on the way at Ughelli in Delta state till daybreak.

The victim further revealed that in Delta State, the Police Officers took N2 million from one of the victims and took N4.5 million from him(Patrick) making it a total of 6.5 million naira.

Meanwhile, a Human Rights Advocate, Prince Wiro, who is also the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign who followed up on the case has given more insight on how the Police officers were arrested.

Mr. Wiro stated that when the victims reported to him, he worked on certain clues the Police Officers who allegedly extorted the victims left in the process.

He said from the clues that one of the officers’ names, pictures, and force identification numbers were obtained.
Mr Wiro said he took the victims to the office of the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, where the clues were given to the Police and the victims made their statements. The Rights Advocate disclosed that through investigation, one of the Police Officers was arrested, leading to the arrest of three other officers.

Mr Wiro also revealed that an identification parade had been conducted at the Tactical unit of the Command where the officers were being detained and three of the victims identified the officers.

Mr Wiro commended the Rivers Police Command, especially the office of the Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko for the arrest of the officers who are serving in a neighbouring state and called on the Police Authority to ensure Justice is done to all parties in the matter to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to get involved in extortion and unprofessional conducts.

Recall that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, had paraded four of the officers on Monday for alleged extortion.

Ends

Photo Caption:

Police Officers paraded for allegedly extorting a total sum of N6.5million from victims they abducted in Omoku, Rivers S

 


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