By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The Edo State Police Command has ejected six of its personnel roped in a web of alleged organised extortion from the force.
The affected officers were found to have allegedly participated in a criminal syndicate accused of harassing, abducting and extorting unsuspecting members of the public while posing as legitimate operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police image maker, ASP Eno Ikoedem, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Monday Agbonika, said the action followed the conclusion of preliminary investigations and internal disciplinary procedures.
The Command revealed that the dismissed officers, alongside other accomplices, operated a well-coordinated network that targeted residents, particularly along the Teboga axis off Aduwawa.
According to the statement, the suspects allegedly forced their victims into vehicles, intimidated them, and compelled them to part with money through Point of Sale (POS) operators under duress.
Those allegedly roped in the criminal act include ASP Bonny Paul Onajite; Inspector Ehubarieme Wisdom; Inspector Arebame God’s Power; Corporal Mordi Philip; Corporal Okon Elvis; and Destiny Emmanuel, a previously dismissed corporal, as well as civilian collaborators such as POS operator Goodluck Jaja and two mini bus drivers, Samuel Nicholas and Etim Bright.
The statement said the serving personnel had been subjected to orderly room trials, leading to their dismissal from service, while all suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
The Command described the actions of the suspects as a gross abuse of office and a betrayal of public trust, noting that they exploited police uniforms and accoutrements to perpetrate their crimes and bring the Force into disrepute.
It, however, promised residents that the leadership of the Command remains committed to sanitising the system and ridding it of bad elements.
The police also urged members of the public who may have fallen victim to the syndicate to come forward with credible information to assist in prosecution.
While warning POS operators and other service providers against aiding unlawful transactions, the Command stressed that any individual found complicit in such acts would be arrested and prosecuted.
The statement reiterated that the ongoing reforms within the Force are in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to enforce discipline and accountability, adding that no officer found wanting would be shielded from the full weight of the law.