The Rivers State Police Command has ordered the arrest and detention of four of its operatives who allegedly extorted N204,000 from a 200 Level student of the Ignatius Ajuru University, Port Harcourt, Kingsley Dike.
This followed a report to the Commissioner, Friday Eboka, by the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign.
The group took Dike to the Commissioner of Police to lodge the complaint directly, leading to the arrest of the operatives attached to Puff Adder Tactical Unit.
Dike told newsmen in Port Harcourt that he was on his way home at about 10pm with a colleague on Friday in a Bolt ride when the policemen waved the car they were in to a stop along Ogbogoro-Egbelu Road, near Port Harcourt.
He said the operatives asked them to alight from the vehicle, saying a thorough search was conducted on them and the vehicle during which nothing incriminating was found on them.
Despite this, they were taken to the Puff Adder Tactical Unit Base in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
He added: “They took my phone, asked me to unlock it, scrolled it and asked me to on my data.
“They didn’t find anything.
“So, when we got there (police station), we were was asked to take off our clothes, which we did.
“We were thrown into the cell on the 4th of March and on the 5th of March, 2022 at exactly 8:30am, were asked to come out of the cell.
“We were asked to write a statement.
“While we were writing, they beat me up.
“The policeman that was interviewing me slapped me three times, forcing me to write that I am an internet fraudster (Yahoo Boy).
“They (policemen) were also beating another victim behind their office.
“With the fear in me, I wrote that I was an internet fraudster.
“After writing the statement, he said I should bring N150,000 to bail myself.
“I told him I had no money, that the only money I had was for my school fees and it was with my mother.
“He said I should call my mother on the telephone and ask her to transfer the money to my account.
“So, I called my mum and informed her of the situation.
“She was shocked and started crying.
“She then transferred N150,000 to my account with fear.
“One Sergeant Eze, who was among those that stopped our vehicle, wrote an account number and asked me to transfer the money to that account.
“Before then, a relative of the other victim they were beating was asked to pay his own money to my account so that we can pay all the money into the account that Sergeant Eze brought.
“So, the victim’s relative sent the money to my account as ordered by Sergeant Eze and I transferred N204,000 to the account number Eze gave to me.
“After then, I was threatened and told never to mention what had happened to anyone.
“That I will be dealt with if I do.
“So, after paying the money, I left and went home.”
Eboka confirmed the arrest of the operatives.
He said the allegation against them was being investigated.
He said: “There was an allegation that policemen extorted money from him.
“So I ordered the DC-CID (Deputy Commissioner of Police Criminal Investigation Department) to investigate.
“And those people accused have been arrested and investigation is on to ascertain the truth.
“So they are with the DC-CID.”
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