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By Christopher Oji
The Lagos Police Commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa, has ordered the arrest of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Okokomaiko Division, Emmanuel Edebagha, and three other policemen for alleged extortion.
The officers, who are currently facing interrogation at the State Police Command, Ikeja, were alleged to have extorted the sum of N100,000 from a mobile phone dealer, Onyinyechi Anwusi, in Alaba International market, Ojo Local Government Area of the state. The officers were also accused of harassing and intimidating the victim over a-yet-to-be ascertained offence. The CP also ordered that the DPO and other officers, who were indicted in the extortion allegation be disciplined for their actions.
A senior police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not supposed to speak with the press, said while the DPO was issued with a query, the three other policemen would face Orderly Room Trial (ORT) to determine their degree of involvement. The police officer said the DPO was queried for lack of supervision of policemen under his direct jurisdiction.
The Lagos State Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the removal of the DPO on his official Twitter handle on Saturday. Hundeyin said the DPO and other officers were already at the State Command Headquarters and were awaiting disciplinary actions.
He said: “CP Idowu Owohunwa has ordered the immediate removal of DPO, Okokomaiko, for his lack of supervision of his men. CP Owohunwa has also ordered the commencement of disciplinary actions against him and all his indicted officers (who are already in the state headquarters,” he tweeted.
It was gathered that the DPO’s ordeal started after the trader lamented how some policemen from the station forcefully extorted the sum of N100,000 from him without finding incriminating evidence on him.
A copy of the transaction receipt obtained showed the N101,000 generated from Access Bank mobile App by the victim. The victim narrated that the police officers accosted and searched him without warrant, then forced him to unlock his mobile phone and search through the contents of his phone, but nothing incriminating was found.
The officers, thereafter, forced him to write a statement under duress indicting himself as an internet fraudster, popularly known “as a Yahoo Yahoo boy” and forcefully made him pay the sum of N100,000 for doing nothing.
