SaharaReporters reported on August 15, 2023, that a civil society organisation, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun over the alleged unlawful detention and extortion of N500,000 from Mr Nwebor by some police officers.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 13 Anambra State, AIG Tony Olofu, has ordered the return of the N500,000 extorted from one Mr Cletus Nwebor by some police officers over a matter pending in court.
SaharaReporters reported on August 15, 2023, that a civil society organisation, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun over the alleged unlawful detention and extortion of N500,000 from Mr Nwebor by some police officers.
Zone 13 Police Command Officers In Anambra Accused Of Unlawful Detention, Extorting Of N500,000 From Nigerian Man | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/HpPWnwXt3q pic.twitter.com/DFIPbnFyAJ
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) August 15, 2023
In the petition dated August 13, 2023, which was signed by the President of the organisation, Olu Omotayo, the group sought the intervention of the police boss in the matter, describing the brazen action of policemen as condemnable.
The group warned that such intimidation and extortion must be stopped.
CRRAN also demanded the immediate refund of the N500,000 extorted from Nwebor.
The petition was titled: "Re: Unlawful detention and extortion of N500,000 naira by some police officers from Mr Cletus Nwebor. Demand for the refund of the money and taking of necessary disciplinary action against the officers involved."
Providing details on the alleged police harassment and extortion, the organisation's President, Omotayo stated, "We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mr. Cletus Nwebor of No. 18/20 Nike Avenue G.R.A. Enugu.
"Mr Cletus P. Nwebor and his father Jeofrey Nwebor had sometime in November 2022, made a petition to the Commissioner of Police Enugu State titled: “Re: Illegal and unlawful fraudulent removal of boundary marks with intent to defraud by Mr Paul Oscar Udoji and Mr Ifeanyi Nwandu”.
"While the matter was being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department Enugu, the duo of Udoji and Nwandu ran to Police Headquarters Zone 13 and made a petition against the Nwebors. So the Nwebors now became suspects at Zone 13.
"According to Cletus, he later bailed himself after his arrest at Zone 13 and he reported several times after which the IPO of the case ASP Okilo, said the matter is a land matter and it should be resolved by the parties."
Thereafter, Cletus Nwebor decided to approach the court and filed a suit before the Enugu State High Court in Suit No: E/484/2023, between Mr Jeofrey Nwebor & another and Mr Paul Oscar Ndoji & 2 Others, the petition stated.
"Surprisingly, on August 13, 2023, Cletus Nwebor was arrested by a team of policemen led by ASP Okilo, while attending a function in a hotel in Enugu.
"He was thereafter taken to Police Area Command Enugu, where he was detained. The IPO ASP Okilo, said his offence was that Cletus jumped bail as he did not come to Zone 13, again but Cletus said that since the police asked that parties should settle because the case is a land matter, he decided to file a suit at an Enugu State High Court," the petitioner said.
The group further explained that all efforts by family members to get Cletus, who was ill, on bail were abortive as the police demanded N1 million for his bail. The police also reportedly told Cletus to write that he would no longer involve himself in the land issue but he refused to do so.
"Even the intervention of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station who is a family friend of the Nwebors could not get Cletus released.
"When ASP Okilo and his team later agreed to collect part payment of N500,000, they insisted that Cletus must bring the N500,000 balance on Tuesday, 15th August when he is to report at Zone 13 Police Headquarters, Anambra.
"Part of the condition imposed before the release of Cletus was that the N500,000 should be transferred to the account of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station, who will in turn transfer to one of the officer’s accounts.
"Cletus transferred the sum of N250,000 to the account of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station and his friends contributed N80,000, N20, 000 and N150,000 respectively to make up another N250,000, which were transferred directly to the account of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station, making a total of N500,000, which the DCO later transferred to the designated account given by Cletus' captors."
It was gathered that after SaharaReporters reported the incident, the AIG Tony Olofu, who intervened in the matter, ordered the officers involved in the extortion to immediately return the N500,000 collected from Cletus Nwebor.
SaharaReporters gathered that the officers returned the money to Cletus Nwebor in the presence of his lawyer on Tuesday.
Confirming the new development to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), Mr Olu Omotayo, commended the AIG Olofu for refusing to shield the criminal police officers.
Omotayo disclosed that the AIG has also ordered a fresh investigation into the matter, noting that the investigation carried out by ASP Okoli and his team cannot be trusted.
"We thank the Police Service Commission for its efforts and also thank the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 13, Anambra State, AIG Tony Olofu, who ordered the return of the N500,000 extorted from Cletus Nwebor to him.
"The said money was returned to Cletus Nwebor yesterday, the 22nd of August 2023, in the presence of Desmond Kakaan Esq, a lawyer from our office who accompanied him to Zone 13.
"We also thank the AIG for giving necessary protection to Cletus Nwebor to ensure that he was never intimidated as he condemned the planned attempt of the sectional head of the indicted officers when he wanted to serve an arraignment notice for forgery and malicious damage on Cletus Nwebor, to get Cletus remanded in prison for allegedly forging the title document of his father’s land.
"When the matter was brought to the attention of the AIG, he said whatever investigation carried out by the affected officers of that section cannot be trusted and such investigation cannot stand.
"He thereafter nullified the 'arraignment notice' and ordered that a fresh investigation should be conducted into the matter," Omotayo stated.
He, however, demanded that an appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against the erring officers in other to serve as a deterrent to others.