The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four police officers accused of 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 incident, which reportedly occurred around the Banex area in Wuse, has sparked fresh concerns over police misconduct and extortion.
Addressing journalists on Monday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed that the officers abandoned their assigned duty posts, formed an unauthorised team and mounted an illegal checkpoint where they intercepted the ICPC chairman without knowing his identity. According to the police chief, the officers forced Aliyu to withdraw ₦53,000 from a nearby Point of Sale (POS) operator, paid the transaction charges, and allegedly shared the money among themselves.
Sanusi described the officers as “thieves” who had no business wearing the police uniform, stressing that the command would not tolerate corruption or abuse of office. He revealed that investigators first arrested the alleged ringleader, whose confession led to the arrest of the remaining three officers. All four are currently undergoing an orderly room trial and could face dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force if found guilty.
The police commissioner also reiterated the force’s ban on illegal stop-and-search operations and the unlawful search of citizens’ mobile phones. He warned officers against extortion, harassment and other forms of misconduct, emphasizing that anyone found violating professional standards would be sanctioned accordingly.
The arrest has been widely viewed as a strong signal of the police leadership’s commitment to tackling misconduct within the force. Authorities say investigations are ongoing, while members of the public have been encouraged to report cases of police extortion and other unethical practices through the appropriate complaint channels.
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