After a video of two police officers extorting money from a citizen went viral on social media August 17, IGP Idris Ibrahim ordered the officers to face investigation, and the suspects my face dismissal.
“Mathew Olasiji Oladunjoye and Oba Roland stationed along Ogudu road today pulled me over and asked for my cell phone…I refused to hand it over because I felt it was infringement of my privacy,’ the citizen whi uploaded the video said.
“But it was forcefully taken and my messages were viewed along with my account details and other private areas in the phone. I was extorted for N100,000.”
Their excuse, according to him, was because they saw on his Google app that he had more than one Gmail log-ins…so they tagged me a Yahoo boy.
“I was detained for four hours…and my car keys taken from me…I wasn’t released until I transferred to Matthew’s account a total of 15,000…,”he said.
The Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) immediately registered the case and ticket number PCRRU972905 was issued, the police statement said.
The author of the post was contacted and a meeting between him and PCRRU investigators took place at the Force Headquarters Annex, Moloney Street, Lagos on Monday 21st August, 2017.
The police officers involved – two Inspectors and two sergeants attached to Ogudu Divison, Lagos state—have been identified and removed from duty that involves any form of contact with members of the public pending the conclusion of a detailed investigation.
According to the PCRRU, preliminary investigations show that the policemen on the 16th of August, 2017 at about 11:00am intercepted the complainant along Ogudu road and in the course of their interaction went beyond their mandate by going through the contents of the complainant’s mobile phone.
The police investigators traced and confirmed a statement of account, following the complainant’s compliance with the orders of one of the officers. He transferred the sum of N15,000 into the account of a third party.
Idris has therefore directed the assistant inspector-general of police, Zone 2 Lagos to carry out a detailed investigation into this alleged misconduct.
Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against anyone found to have erred, the body said.
All four policemen and bank statement of account have been handed over to the AIG Zone 2 today by PCRRU investigators for the required action.
The PCRRU is a police complaint body open to receiving and resolving all complaints relating to issues of police misconduct from across the country.
Idris dismissed four officers for a related misconduct in July