SaharaReporters gathered that Ubi was forced to transfer the money to one of the policemen's account with name Patrick Nkwor after they had beaten him and his cousin, Samuel Ifeh to stupor.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Delta State Command on roadblock at Warri along Port Harcourt-Okuokoko expressway on Monday, allegedly extorted N53,000 from a man, Ufezime Ubi on gunpoint.
SaharaReporters gathered that Ubi was forced to transfer the money to one of the policemen's account with name Patrick Nkwor after they had beaten him and his cousin, Samuel Ifeh to stupor.
Narrating the incident to SaharaReporters, Ubi said that the police warned them that if they reported the incident to any police station, they would locate and exterminate them.
Ubi explained that he and his cousin, Samuel Ifeh had left his fish farm in Warri around 2pm on Monday afternoon to go and buy snake repellent at Effurun roundabout in same Warri.
"Meanwhile, my cousin bought little cannabis in a cup that he was going to use to mix his hair gel to grow his hair and darken his hair. He kept the little cannabis inside his hand bag.
"We entered commercial tricycle otherwise known 'keke Napep' to take us to Effurun roundabout. All of a sudden we ran into a police checkpoint along Warri - Port-Harcourt/Okuokoko road."
He added, "As we were approaching the policemen at the checkpoint, out of fear my cousin threw the little cup of cannabis he bought out of his hand bag on the road and one of the policemen - short and dark in complexion sighted him. When we got to the checkpoint, the policemen dragged us down from the tricycle and started hitting him seriously.
"They forced him into their police vehicle that was written 'Anti-crime patrol, Warri zone'. After forcing him into their patrol vehicle they started threatening to take him to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency office and will be arrested if he doesn’t bring N150,000."
Ubi however, added that while he was trying to explain to the policemen that his cousin was not a smoker, that the little cannabis was for hair treatment one of the policemen gave him several blows on his mouth which led to bleeding on the mouth. I am still bleeding seriously on the mouth."
He further stated, "After much pleading from me and trying to explain things to them which they never accepted. I then told them that there is no way we can bring out N150,000. They now told us to bring N60,000 and I told them that I don’t have such money to give them.
"They told me that since he is my cousin, I should start calling people to send money to free my cousin. After a lot of calls that didn’t bring out any money, they said that they will take my cousin away.
"My cousin had to chat up my cousin who is in Europe to help me with some money and he said he will be able to send only N20,000. I had to bring N33,000 to added N20,000 my younger brother had sent from Europe after a lot threats. I now transferred them the N53,000 under much pressure.
"The name of one of the police officers who collaborated with the other officers to accept the N53,000 is named Officer Patrick Nkwor who also videoed my cousin threatening him that he was going to post the video online."
According to Ubi, N20,000 was transferred from his Opay Account and N33,000 from his GTB Account and I have the transfer receipt.
Meanwhile, after they received the alert, "They started smiling and told my cousin, Ifeh to go home, but warned us that if they heard what happened in any place, they will come after us."
Efforts by SaharaReporters to get the reaction of the Delta State Police Command on the policemen were not successful as the Command's spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe did not take his calls at the time of filing this report.