They were said to have confessed to the crime ‘after due interrogation’ and refunded the N70,000 to the student.
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four of its officers who allegedly harassed and extorted N70,000 from a 16-year-old student.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, spokesman for the command, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
The incident was said to have occurred on Wednesday, at Isheri area of Lagos.
According to the statement, Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos commissioner of police, said pictures of the alleged extortion attracted the complaint response unit of the force, which led to the tracking of the officers involved.
The officers arrested were identified as “223329 Insp Emmanuel Michael, male, 40; 146504 Insp Sunday Odubiyi, male, 40; 256496 Insp Lawrence Amedu, male, 39, and 255043 Insp Aroye Dickson, male, 40.”
They were said to have confessed to the crime ‘after due interrogation’ and refunded the N70,000 to the student.
The statement, “The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four (4) police Inspectors that allegedly harassed and extorted N70,000 (seventy thousand naira only) from one 16-year-old student, Segun, on 18th January, 2021, at NGAB Junction, Isheri area of Lagos State, in a Toyota Corolla car.
“The picture of the policemen that were caught in the act of unprofessionalism and extortion had gone viral on social media which attracted the Complaint Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Force Headquarters Abuja, to track the policemen for necessary police action. The matter was subsequently referred to the Lagos State Police Command for further action.
“The police Inspectors arrested are: 223329 Insp Emmanuel Michael, m, 40; 146504 Insp Sunday Odubiyi, m, 40; 256496 Insp Lawrence Amedu, m, 39, and 255043 Insp Aroye Dickson, m, 40. After due interrogation, the policemen confessed to the crime and refunded the N70,000 (seventy thousand naira) to the student, on bond, which forms the key credible evidence/exhibit in the case.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has condemned the act of the police inspectors which is detrimental to the image of the police force and counterproductive to the ongoing reform agenda of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, NPM, mni. He has however ordered for the orderly room trial of the Inspectors with immediate effect so as to serve as a deterrent to other criminally-minded police personnel in the command and beyond.
“CP Hakeem Odumosu also warned officers and men in Lagos State that the command will 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 styles in Lagos State, as justice will be done in Segun's case.”