…By Larry John for TDPel Media. Arrest of Police Personnel for Extortion in Rivers State
The Rivers State command of the Nigeria Police Force has taken action against two of its officers following allegations of extortion from citizens.
This development occurred after a young man reported on Twitter that he had been extorted by the security operatives.
He tagged the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Adejobi Olumuyiwa, who then questioned the Rivers State Police Command about the continued complaints of extortion and harassment in the state, despite warnings from the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
In response, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrest of the accused police officers.
It was revealed that these officers were part of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
Incident in Ishashi and Police Response
In another incident, an individual on Twitter, known as Partron, shared a video showing policemen harassing a young Nigerian on the streets of Lagos, particularly in the Ishashi area, known to be a hotbed for cultists.
The person who posted the video claimed that the police were beating the boy because he refused to surrender his phone.
Responding to the video, Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos Police, addressed the situation.
He argued that searching the young men and discovering hard drugs on them warranted a closer investigation due to the association of cultists with drug abuse.
Hundeyin also criticized the video as being malicious and provided an explanation for why the young man was prevented from making a phone call.
According to Hundeyin, the officers were trying to prevent the destruction of evidence, as the young man could have alerted his gang members.
He further accused the young man of resisting arrest.
Hundeyin’s Perspective and Police Mandate
Hundeyin clarified that the narrative surrounding the incident was incorrect and misleading.
He emphasized that Ishashi is known for cultism in Lagos State, with cultists engaging in heavy drug abuse.
Therefore, conducting random searches of three young men moving together and discovering hard drugs justified a closer examination.
Hundeyin stated that the young man was prevented from making a call, but the police officers did not attempt to take his phone.
In cases involving felony offenses like cultism, newly arrested suspects are not immediately allowed to make calls to prevent them from alerting their gang members and destroying evidence.
Hundeyin explained that calls can be made later in the presence of the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) after the initial documentation.
He concluded by asserting that the young man’s resistance constituted a clear case of resisting arrest and debunked any connection to the phone issue.
Commitment to Duty and Police Resilience
Hundeyin emphasized that resorting to theatrics and making false accusations about phone searches would not deter the Lagos State Police from fulfilling its mandate.
He stated that engaging in malicious video recordings would not intimidate the police force into inaction.
The statement highlighted the commitment of the police to addressing sensitive issues effectively and their determination to maintain order and safety in the community.
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