In a police signal exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday, the erring policemen were also accused of impersonating officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrested of three of its senior officers for alleged abduction and extortion of N4,200,000 from two residents of Aba, Abia State.
In a police signal exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday, the erring policemen were also accused of impersonating officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The officers attached to Rivers State Police Command were said to have left Port Harcourt to Aba, where they whisked away two men, Kalu Ibe Nnana and Uwaka Anthony Ifeanyi.
The victims were threatened by the policemen who claimed they were arrested in connection with an ongoing fraudulent investigation, the signal read.They were subsequently forced to cough up N4.2million in Delta State before they were moved to Lagos State.
The erring officers are identified as ASP Daubara Edonyabo, ASP Talent Mungo, both attached to the Intelligence/Surveying unit of the Rivers State command.
An Inspector attached to the command sport unit, Odey Micheal was also indicted.
The signal read, “GOOD EVENING SIR X SITREP X RIVERS COMMAND X DATED 18/01/2024 X ARREST OF MEMBERS OF THE FORCE FOR ALLEGED ABDUCTION AND EXTORTION X GRATEFUL BE INFORMED THAT X ON 17/01/2024 AT ABOUT 0900HRS X ONE KALU IBE NNANA 'M' AND UWAKA ANTHONY IFEANYI 'M' X RESIDENTS OF ABA X ABIA STATE X REPORTED AT INTELLIGENCE AND SURVEILLANCE UNIT MINE X ALLEGING THAT ON 15/01/2024 AT ABOUT 2000HRS X WHILE AT ECKO FILLING STATION ALONG ABA/OWERRI ROAD X ABIA STATE X THEY WERE ABDUCTED BY FIVE UNKNOWN PERSONS X WHO CLAIMED TO BE OFFICERS X AND FLASHED EFCC ID CARDS X STATING THEY WERE EFCC OPERATIVES X THE VICTIMS WERE THREATENED TO BE TAKEN TO THE LAGOS ZONAL OFFICE IN CONNECTION WITH AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION X EN ROUTE TO LAGOS STATE.
“AT DELTA STATE X NEGOTIATIONS COMMENCED X AND THE VICTIMS PAID A TOTAL OF FOUR MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND NAIRA (N4,200,000.00) THROUGH TRANSFER X SUBSEQUENTLY X ON 16/01/2024 AT ABOUT 1500HRS X CONFIRMATION OF THE TRANSFER WAS MADE X AND THE VICTIMS WERE RELEASED IN PORT HARCOURT X RIVERS STATE X SPECIFICALLY IN THE GRA AREA X IN RESPONSE TO THE REPORT X A TEAM OF DETECTIVES LED BY THE COMMANDER OF THE UNIT X IMMEDIATELY COMMENCED INVESTIGATIONS X RESULTING IN THE ARREST OF ASP DOUBARA EDONYABO 'M' X ASP TALENT MUNGO 'M' X BOTH ATTACHED TO INTELLIGENCE/SURVEILLANCE UNIT X AND INSPR ODEY MICHAEL 'M' X ATTACHED TO SPORT X PORT HARCOURT X THE SUSPECTS ARE CURRENTLY IN DETENTION FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION X QUERIES WILL BE ISSUED TO THE ARRESTED OFFICERS X AND INSPR ODEY MICHAEL 'M' WILL BE SUBJECT TO AN ORDERLY ROOM TRIAL X THE COMMAND WILL PROVIDE FURTHER UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS OF THE INVESTIGATION X PLEASE X DECOMPOL RVS X.”
The latest incident occurred less than four days after the police arrested some officers who allegedly assaulted and extorted a lady in Ogun State.
The 24-year-old woman, Soyemi Abidemi Funmilola, had alleged that a team of mobile police officers at a checkpoint in Ijagun junction near Tai Solarin University of Education in the state allegedly assaulted her after the driver of the vehicle conveying her and her siblings refused to give them a bribe.
Funmilola further alleged that when one of the policemen became violent with her, she had to give them the sum of N15,000 before the officers allowed her and her siblings to go.
She explained that the policemen stopped the vehicle and demanded the particulars of the vehicle which the driver she said to be her friend, presented to them, but after checking the vehicle particulars which according to her, had every necessary document intact, they demanded money but she declined by telling them they had no cash on them.