How Police Extorts Rich Individuals, High Profile Personalities - Group
A
group, the Nigerian Anti-Corruption Vanguard has decried the alleged
wanton extortion of Nigerians by the men of the Nigeria Police Force.
According
to the group, the economic effect of the extortion if left unchecked
will not augur well for the country, saying more than 200 billion
extorted from public in the last six months.
The
National Coordinator, Nigeria Anti-Corruption Vanguard, Akin Ayokunle
Oloye, while addressing a press conference during the weekend noted that
as the report of brutality and extortion on part of the Police filters
around the country, the nation's economic stand will be affected as
investments will be cut down, tourism sector and rating of the country
on the global corruption will also be reduced.
Furthermore,
the group issued a 48-hours ultimatum to the Nigeria Police Force to
set up an investigative panel who will look into this wanton extortion
and forceful seizure of passports, travelling documents of many victims
of police victimization.
Oloye said, "We call
on the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences
commision (ICPC), the Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Muhammed
Adamu and the Human Rights commission to investigate this injustice
against Nigerians and that all perpetrators, no matter how highly placed
they are in the police force should be brought to book so that
Nigerians home and abroad can be sure of their safety when they are in
their country home."
He added,
"The attention of the Nigeria Anti-Corruption Vanguard has has been
drawn to the wanton and incessant extortion of innocent Nigerians by the
officers of the Nigeria Police Force particularly some special
intervention squad under Zone 2 Zonal Command.
"Our
investigation shows that various special units create outside police
state commands are used by criminal elements in the force to harass and
extort money from Nigerians, high profile personalities and Nigerians
living in diaspora visiting the country.
"These
special units often time act which has been ongoing for about a year
now has reached its zenith and it is important such an indecent act is
discouraged and that the police authorities look into it.
"Countless
number of Nigerians have been subjected to horrible treatment by the
officers of the Nigerian police claiming to be acting on tip off by the
public that those Nigerians are criminals, most of these tips have
proven to be false but the police still demands for heavy bribe before
victims are released.
"In Ogun State also a
special intervention unit under Zone 2 of the NPF is notorious for such
acts, officers from the units are known for courting these unholy acts.
"Complaints
from residents of Lagos, Port Harcourt and Benin show that these
officers are colluding with some members of the public without proper
investigation to falsely accuse Nigerians mostly high profile
personalities and Nigerians living in diaspora visiting the country of
crime that can tarnish their image. They will also threaten such persons
that they have evidence against them but will refuse to charge them to
court nor access to lawyers and family members hence they will resort to
bargaining with victims and pricing their freedom.
"Most
recent of these incessant extortion is the one involving one Mr.
Frederick, a Nigerian living in South Africa was arrested based on a
petition that he is planning to kill one of his partners. He was not
allowed to call his lawyer, neither was he charged to court. These bad
eggs among the noble men of the Nigeria Police Force bargained with the
man and extorted Mr. Frederick to the tune of 3,000,000 before he was
later released.
"According
to intelligence report, we realized that police officers perpetrating
this act are moving about in private cars to effect these arrests and at
some point they bargain with the victims before they get to the
station. In cases where the victim is scared of this blackmail, and he
cooperates with them, they ask him for money to get rid of the
accusations against him and they set such victim free once the levelled
amount is paid. Nigerians that cannot afford the billing are made to
write statement against themselves and they are consequently kept in the
cell for a period ranging from weeks to months depending on how fast
they can pay for bail."
How Police Extorts Rich Individuals, High Profile Personalities - Group
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