Nigeria Police Dismiss Four Officers For Extorting Suspect

Nigeria Police Dismiss Four Officers For Extorting Suspect

The Kwara State Police Command has dismissed four officers after finding them guilty of misconduct, including extorting a suspect.

Eight other officers were also sanctioned for related offences, an official said.

According to the spokesperson of the command, Peter Okasanmi, the four officers were found guilty of serious offences.

He disclosed that the state police commissioner has ordered a retrial in one of the cases involving the four officers.

“One of the cases tried, reviewed and in which punishment of dismissal was upheld involved the duo of ex-Sgt Sola Akano, and ex- Cpl Babatunde Glorious.”

“They were alleged to have illegally arrested a suspect, booked the suspect already in their custody out on enquiry, but took him to his bank, where he was made to empty his bank account, withdrawing the sum of N1,190,000 for the dismissed officers.

“Not done, they again demanded and insisted on the sum of N200,000 bail which they also collected from members of the suspect’s family before releasing him.

“The duo also seized the two phones of the suspect and as at the time of their arrest, the two phones had already been checked and converted to their personal use.

“It was after the suspect regained his freedom that the matter was brought before the police commissioner, who ordered the investigation of the two ex-non commissioned officers,” the statement read.

Apart from Messrs Akano and Glorious, the police spokesperson did not name the other two dismissed officers. He also did not list the specific offences of the other eight police officers punished as well as their ezacr punishments and names.

Mr Okasanmi did not pick or return calls by PREMIUM TIMES seeking clarification on the omitted information.

Officials of the Nigerian Police Force, on several occasions, have been caught on camera extorting suspects and motorists.

Some of those caught have been dismissed.