By Tunji Braimoh, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has detained four police officers accused of extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an unauthorized stop-and-search operation in Abuja.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the development on Monday while addressing journalists in Abuja, describing the officers as unfit to wear the police uniform and vowing that they would face severe disciplinary measures.

According to Sanusi, preliminary investigations revealed that the officers abandoned their official duty posts and assembled around the Banex area of Wuse, where they allegedly established an illegal checkpoint to extort motorists. Unaware of the identity of their victim, the officers reportedly stopped the ICPC chairman and forced him to part with N53,000.

The police commissioner said the ICPC chairman was compelled to withdraw the money through a Point of Sale (POS) operator and also paid the associated transaction charges before the officers allegedly shared the proceeds among themselves.

“I can confirm that four police officers are currently in custody for extorting a prominent citizen without knowing who he was. The individual turned out to be the Chairman of the ICPC,” Sanusi said.

“They collected N53,000 from him after taking him to a POS operator to withdraw the money. The victim also paid the transaction charges, and the officers shared the money among themselves.”

Sanusi described the suspects as a criminal gang operating outside the scope of their official responsibilities.

“These officers left their various divisions, converged in the Banex area of Wuse, and created an illegal checkpoint where they carried out the extortion before dispersing,” he stated.

The commissioner explained that the command launched a manhunt for the suspects immediately after receiving reports of the incident. The operation led to the arrest of the alleged gang leader, whose confession subsequently assisted investigators in apprehending the remaining members of the group.

“We have arrested all of them, and we are determined to ensure that justice is served. Any officer found culpable will face the full weight of disciplinary procedures, including possible dismissal from the Force,” Sanusi said.

He reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to enforcing the directive of the Inspector-General of Police prohibiting officers from conducting indiscriminate searches of citizens’ mobile phones during routine patrols.

Sanusi advised residents of the Federal Capital Territory and other Nigerians to reject unlawful demands by police officers seeking to inspect their phones on the roadside.

“No police officer has the authority to stop a citizen and demand access to his or her phone without lawful justification. Anyone confronted with such a request should immediately contact the police emergency lines and report the incident,” he said.

The commissioner further urged members of the public to report cases of extortion, harassment, and other forms of misconduct involving police personnel, assuring that complaints would be thoroughly investigated.

According to him, the command remains committed to identifying and sanctioning officers who abuse their positions for personal gain.

“We will continue to enforce the directives of the Inspector-General of Police. Some officers engage in these activities because they are criminally minded and seek opportunities to exploit members of the public. Whenever such individuals are identified, they will face disciplinary action and the consequences of their conduct,” Sanusi added.

The incident has once again drawn attention to concerns over police misconduct and extortion at illegal checkpoints, despite repeated directives from the police leadership aimed at curbing such practices across the country.