'Justice!' Four police officers on trial for extorting teenager

Four police officers in Lagos are facing an orderly room trial for harassing and extorting a teenager in Lagos, the state police spokesperson has said.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Friday, that the four police inspectors were arrested following the directive of Commissioner of Police.

The officers allegedly extorted N70, 000 from a 16-year-old student identified as Segun at the Isheri area of Lagos. They were caught on camera, which was circulated on social media, Mr Adejobi said.

The police spokesperson added that the officers confessed to the crime and refunded the sum to the teenager.

“The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four (4) police Inspectors that allegedly harassed and extorted 70,000 (seventy thousand naira only) from one 16 year old student, Segun, on 18th January, 202, at NGAB Junction, Isheri Area of Lagos State, in a Toyota Corolla car.

“The picture of the policemen, that were caught in the act of unprofessionalism and extortion, had gone viral on the social media which attracted the Complaint Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Force Headquarters Abuja, to track the policemen for necessary police action. The matter was subsequently referred to the Lagos State Police Command for further action,” the police statement partly reads.

The police Inspectors are Emmanuel Michael, 40 years, with force number 223329; Sunday Odubiyi, 40 years, Force number 146504; Lawrence Amedu, 39 years, 256496; and Aroye Dickson, 40 years, 255043.

“After due interrogation, the policemen confessed to the crime and refunded the 70,000 (seven thousand naira) to the student, on bond, which forms the key credible evidence/exhibit in the case,” the police spokesperson added.

Condemning the act, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the act of the officers is detrimental to the image of the Police Force and counterproductive to the ongoing reform agenda of the Inspector-General of Police.

Mr Odumosu directed an orderly room trial of the Inspectors with immediate effect so as to serve as a deterrent to other criminally-minded police personnel in the command and beyond.

The police boss also warns officers and men in Lagos State that the command will spread its tentacles in fighting against such criminal, unprofessional and disgusting act amongst police personnel in Lagos State.

He further assured the general public that the command will continue people-oriented and community-based policing styles in the State, as justice will be done in Segun’s case.

Four months ago, another police officer was caught on camera in the Aguda area extorting a motorcyclist during a stop and search.

The police inspector, Joseph Dike, attached to Aguda Police Division also faced an orderly trial. The police did not make public the outcome of the trial.