Four Police Officers Arrested Over Extortion Of N204,000 from students In Rivers

*Forced them to accept they were internet fraudsters.

Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police command has arrested and detained four Police Officers attached to Puff Adder tactical Police unit for allegedly extorting 204,000 naira from one Mr. Kingsley Dike, Level 200 Student of Ignatius Ajuru University.

Their arrest followed an order by the Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday shortly after members of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign led the student to the office of the Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday on Monday (7/03/2022) to lodge a formal compliant on the matter. 

The victims said “When the Policemen stopped the hired Bolt we were inside,the car was searched and we thoroughly frisked and the found nothing incriminating us. Yet they ordered us(my friend and I) to accompany them to their base.
“All attempts to know why we were being arrested fell on deaf ears.They only said that when we get to their Base we will know our offense. At their Base in Aluu, in Ikwerre Local Government Area, we were stripped after they compelled me to put on my Data in my phone we were dumped inside the cell”.
“We slept in the cell overnight from Friday night to Saturday. The next day, we were brought out and at gunpoint, I was forced to accept that we were internet fraudsters. I was given three slaps to write in the statement that we were internet fraudsters. For fear of our lives and sounds of moaning of other victims being tortured, l had to accept so that I won’t be killed. I was forced to call my mother who was crying to transfer N150,000 to me which I sent to an Account the Policemen gave me. We transferred a total of N204,000 to the account supplied to us”.

He also said a lot of people who are in the cells of Puff Adder Unit in Aluu may be innocent like them.

After listening to the harrowing story of Mr Dike in the hands said Policemen, CP Eboka Friday, who was angry and disappointed at the alleged conduct of suspected Policemen ordered for their immediate arrest, detention and investigation.

Speaking on the development, a Lawyer with the Rights group, Charles Obiorah Edward commended CP Eboka for the step he took on the matter.
Mr Edward further urged the Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the matter and if any of the officer is found culpable, they should be arraigned in court to serve as detterent to others.

Mr Dike revealed that the Police officer threw them in the cell on Friday night and brought them out on Saturday morning (5/03/2022) and ordered them with threats and toture to write in their statement that they were internet fraudsters.

The students explained that for fear of being killed they wrote they were internet fraudsters after which the Police officers gave them an account number which they transferred 204,000 naira to before they were released on Saturday.

As at the time of filing this report, the Officers are being detained at State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Port Harcourt the money allegedly extorted by the Police Officers from the student has been recovered.