The Plateau State Commissioner of Police (CP), Okoro Julius, has arrested police officers attached to the anti-kidnaping unit of the command who extorted N100,000 from people in Jos.
City & Crime reports that the arrest followed an allegation of N500,000 extortion from the complainants on October 15, by the officers, a development that prompted the CP to investigate.
Mr Julius explained that in the course of investigation, it was found out that the officers collected N100,000 and not N500,000 as reported by some media outfits (not Daily Trust), adding that the money had been recovered and handed over to the complainants.
In a statement, spokesperson of the command, DSP Alabo Alfred, said, “Following the allegation of extortion by operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Unit (AKU) attached to the Plateau State Police Command reported by one Victor Ayeni of The Punch newspaper on the 15th of October, 2023, with the headline: ‘Policemen invaded our estate, forced us to pay N500,000 – Jos residents’, the Plateau State Police Command investigated the claim, identified the deviant officers, recovered exhibits and handed them over to the complainants.
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“In a bid to ensure that the matter is given the urgent attention that it deserves, CP Okoro J. Alawari, on the 16th of October, 2023, invited the complainants: Audu Michael and Bitrus Zakka, to his office, where the erring officers were paraded and interviewed before them.
“But contrary to The Punch’s report, one of the complainants, Audu Michael, voluntarily disclosed to the police that The Punch’s reporter, Victor Ayeni, misrepresented and exaggerated the fact by reporting that AKU operatives extorted the sum of N500,000 instead of N100,000 as alleged by the complainant.
“The police boss who frowned at the unprofessional conducts by the affected officers assures Plateau residents that his administration will not harbour bad eggs in his command. He, therefore, ordered the OC Provost of the command to commence the orderly room trial of the officers with immediate effect.”
