…the police officers escorted the victim to the PoS operator, where the money was transferred to an unknown account,
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Anambra State Police Command has taken six officers from the Okpoko Police Division in Onitsha into custody over allegations that they extorted N200,000 from a victim using a Point of Sale operator.
Their arrest followed the circulation of a viral video in which the victim’s wife recounted how her husband, a beverage trader, was allegedly harassed, handcuffed, and compelled to pay money after being stopped by policemen while returning from Relief Market, where he had gone to restock his drinks using his bus.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred over the weekend around the busy Upper Iweka axis of the Onitsha–Awka–Enugu Expressway.
In the video, the woman explained that her husband was stopped beneath the Upper Iweka flyover, where officers requested his vehicle documents. Although he reportedly presented valid papers, she alleged the officers questioned why the bus was painted white and instructed him to meet their superior inside a patrol vehicle.
She further claimed that upon approaching the vehicle, the officers surrounded him, placed him in handcuffs, confiscated his phone, and drove him to an undisclosed location. There, he was allegedly accused of being a thief and pressured to pay N500,000 for his release.
According to her, the victim, who was frightened and confused, was eventually forced to transfer N200,000 through a PoS operator reportedly brought in by the officers before he was set free.
Another narration in the video alleged that the police officers escorted the victim to the PoS operator, where the money was transferred to an unknown account, adding that similar tactics had been used on other victims.
Responding to the allegations, the Anambra State Police Command confirmed it had seen the video and launched an investigation.
In a statement issued on Monday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, had ordered the detention of the six officers involved pending the outcome of investigations.
He identified the officers as two Assistant Superintendents of Police and four Inspectors.
Ikenga also revealed that the N200,000 allegedly taken from the victim had been refunded, describing the incident as a grave case of misconduct and unprofessional behaviour.
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed the detention of the six officers allegedly linked to the incident pending the conclusion of investigations,” the statement said.
He added that senior officers connected to the matter had been queried, while statements had been obtained from other personnel involved in line with standard investigative procedures.
The command also said efforts were underway to apprehend the PoS operator in Onitsha, whose alleged role points to possible collaboration.
Furthermore, through the Divisional Police Officer of Okpoko Division, the police have called on the victim to come forward with additional information to support the investigation and aid further disciplinary measures.
Ikenga assured the public that the matter was being handled with utmost seriousness and promised that updates would be provided as investigations progress.
