The Nigeria Police Force has debunked allegations circulating in the media, suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, is shielding a cartel of police officers accused of extorting over N74 million from a cargo company in Abuja.
The police condemned the accusations and described them as baseless and orchestrated attempts by the affected officers to tarnish Egbetokun’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Wednesday, explained that the incident in question occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 26, 2023, where the four officers unlawfully arrested a man, Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was conveying the cash sum of N74,950,000 on behalf of clients, took him to Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, and dispossessed him of the cash.
Adejobi said the matter has been thoroughly investigated, disclosing the officers involved as DSP Peter Ejike (a lawyer in charge of Zone 7 Legal Section), Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode.
He said the four officers attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters were found culpable of the offence and sanctioned appropriately.
“These officers, led by Inspector Esther Okafor on the instruction of DSP Peter Ejike, unlawfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was conveying the cash sum of ₦74,950,000 on behalf of clients. Acting without authorization, they detained Mr. Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, and deliberately misrepresented the recovered amount as ₦31,790,000. The officers further demanded a percentage of the funds to suppress the case.
“Upon being contacted by the alleged owners of the money, the officers claimed that the sum they had recovered from the arrested suspect was N31,790,000, and requested a percentage of the money to jeopardise investigation and suppress the case.
“Outraged by their actions, the money owners petitioned the Force Headquarters, Abuja and the matter was directed to the IGP Monitoring Unit for Investigation. During the process, the cash sum of N31,790,000 was recovered from the officers, who claimed that it was the total money recovered from Andrew Ejah during his arrest.
“After intense investigations and a series of trial before duly constituted disciplinary panels, it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of monies at the point of arrest but claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost, in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.
“However, forensic intelligence showed that this group of officers conspired and stole part of the money, amounting to N43,160,000, and tasked one of them to move the cash out of the FCT for hiding pending when the heat blows over. They thereafter resorted to several tricks and gimmicks in order to cover their tracks. One of which is the spread of this false narrative and misinformation to several online blogs and newspaper platforms,” the Force spokesperson revealed.
He said the officers had been suspended over serious misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, illegal duty, and acts unbecoming of a police officer.
According to him, “The movement of such an amount of money by the alleged cargo company could have been investigated and handled professionally by the police, but the officers were carried away by greed and therefore acted criminally and unprofessionally.”
Insisting that Egbetokun has not been protecting the police officers, Adejobi warned against spreading of false narrative, assuring that “the affected officers will be prosecuted upon conclusion of due legal and administrative procedures.”
