A human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, had posted on his X account a voice note of a resident of the state who narrated how he was extorted of the sum of N810,000 by four policemen who operated like kidnappers under a bridge in Onitsha on Friday.
Anambra State Police Command says it has initiated steps to identify the police officers attached to Onitsha Area Command, who allegedly extorted the sum of N810,000 from a motorist.
A human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, had posted on his X account a voice note of a resident of the state who narrated how he was extorted of the sum of N810,000 by four policemen who operated like kidnappers under a bridge in Onitsha on Friday.
#UPDATE 👇👇
N810,000 CRIMINAL EXTORTION BY ALLEGED POLICE OFFICERS FROM AREA COMMAND ONITSHA, ANAMBRA STATE.
Dear @PoliceNG , kindly look into this case and help us fish out these officers that have continued to destroy the image of the Police Force.
We don’t want to keep… pic.twitter.com/FOaNLqR5Qy
— Harrison Gwamnishu (@HarrisonBbi18) June 25, 2024
Narrating his ordeal, the victim whose name was not mentioned in the voice note said, “I was going to my mechanic on Friday to fix my car and they (police) stopped me at upper Iweka under the flyover.
“They asked for my particulars and I gave them. The officer in charge said that my papers are fake, that my doctor's report is fake. That I don't have eye problems but I'm using a doctor's report for the tinted glasses.
“But I have been using the doctor's report since 2022. Yet, he said it is fake. Three of them started searching my car. They were four and I can identify four of them.
“A few seconds after they started searching my car, one of them brought out weed (Indian helm) and said it was from my car. Meanwhile, I don't smoke and I just brought my car from a car wash. So, they planted weed in my car.
“It was just like an act of kidnapping. They collected my phone and asked me not to tell anybody where I was going. They asked me to pay N5 million, else, they would take me to Abuja. They had already printed two transfer papers to transfer me to Abuja immediately.
“I asked them what my offence was but instead, they said I should pay N2 million last. I asked them to give me my phone to call my people but they refused. I asked them to give me my phone to call who would send the money.”
He said after they gave him his phone back, he used the opportunity to call somebody and inform them of where he was.
He said the person brought a lawyer to the station.
He continued, “The lawyer came and started negotiating with them and told them that I have agreed to pay N800,000, which was not true.
“They forced me to make a video. They snapped me with the weed, forced me to say that I'm a smoker and that I'm a ‘Yahoo’ boy. They forced me to say everything, and they recorded me and kept it.
“One of them removed his uniform, put on a mufti and followed me outside to force me withdraw N900,000 first, because they checked my account balance through my bank app on my phone.
“They wanted me to go to the bank to transfer N1 million from the bank. It was when I went outside that I had the chance to call somebody and told him I was in trouble.
“They noticed it and they all became angry and asked me why I called somebody. They threatened to deal with me and finish me and end my life.
“A few minutes later, the lawyer came out and they took N800,000 from my account. I paid N800,000 to a POS outside and gave them cash before they released me and my car.”
The receipt included in post by Gwamnishu shows a transfer of N810,000 to a Moniepoint POS operator.
Reacting to the matter, the Anambra State Police Command in a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka by its Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said it had initiated steps to identify the officers.
Ikenga also asked the victim to visit the Public Relations Office of the Police Command Headquarters in Awka to provide more information that will help in facilitating the necessary procedures involved in the process.
The statement read, “Anambra State Police Command is aware of the information on X social media platform of the alleged extortion of the sum of Eight hundred and Ten thousand Naira only by a yet-to-be-identified officer of the Command and has initiated steps to identify the alleged officer.
“Information about the incident has been escalated to Area Commander Onitsha for necessary actions.
“Meanwhile, the Command also wishes to invite the victim to come to Police Command Headquarters, Awka at the Police Public Relations Office to help us with more information that will help in facilitating the necessary procedures involved in the process.
“Further details shall be communicated, please.”