Four Police Officers Arrested for Allegedly Extorting ICPC Chairman of ₦53,000 in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four police officers for allegedly extorting ₦53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an illegal stop-and-search operation in Abuja.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Monday, describing the officers as “criminals” who had no business remaining in the Nigeria Police Force.

According to Sanusi, the officers abandoned their official duty posts and mounted an unauthorized checkpoint around the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly extorted the ICPC chairman without knowing his identity.

He said the officers forced Aliyu to withdraw ₦53,000 through a Point of Sale (POS) operator, pay the transaction charges, and then shared the money among themselves.

“I must say here too that we have about four policemen in custody who successfully extorted somebody of high importance, unknown to them that this person is a highly placed person in society. In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC,” the commissioner said.

Sanusi explained that investigations revealed the officers had deserted their assigned duty posts, formed a gang, and set up an illegal checkpoint to extort motorists before fleeing the scene.

He disclosed that the command declared the officers wanted before arresting their alleged gang leader, whose confession led investigators to the remaining suspects.

The commissioner vowed that the officers would face severe disciplinary measures, including possible dismissal from the Force.

He also reiterated the Inspector-General of Police’s directive prohibiting officers from indiscriminately searching citizens’ mobile phones during patrols.

According to him, no police officer has the authority to stop members of the public and demand access to their phones without lawful justification.

Sanusi urged residents of the FCT to reject unlawful phone searches, report incidents of extortion, and use the police emergency lines to report misconduct by officers.

He assured the public that the command remains committed to identifying and sanctioning officers involved in extortion, abuse of office, and other forms of misconduct to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.