Police detain inspector, two civil guards over extortion of motorist

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, has ordered the arrest and detention of a police inspector and two Imo State Civil Guard Corps (IMSCGC) personnel over alleged extortion.

Henry Okoye, the police spokesperson in Imo State, said in a statement on Friday that the police commissioner has also ordered an investigation into the incident.

Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the incident happened on Thursday and that the officers claimed that the motorist was driving without a driver’s licence in Owerri.

IMSCGC is a state government paramilitary outfit established in 2013 during the administration of then-Governor Rochas Okorocha.

The outfit was created as an offshoot of the Imo State Orientation Corps under the Imo State Orientation Agency.

It enforces state government regulations, addresses illegal trading and hawking, and assists with road and traffic safety.

The viral video

PREMIUM TIMES sighted a video clip of the incident circulating on Facebook.

The clip showed two male IMSCGC officers and the female police inspector demanding a ₦35,000 bribe from a driver for allegedly driving without a licence, threatening to take him to their office for a higher official fee.

The police said the female inspector is also a traffic warden.

The driver, who repeatedly argued that he left his licence at home, later negotiated the price down to ₦15,000 and transferred it to an account provided by the security operatives.

‘It’s unacceptable’

Mr Okoye said in the statement that the state police have condemned the operatives’ conduct in the clip.

He said the conduct was “unacceptable and contrary to the standards of discipline and integrity” expected of law enforcement personnel.

The spokesperson said the female inspector has been identified as Chinewe Ejiogu, attached to the Shell Camp Divisional Police Headquarters. At the same time, the two IMSCGC officers were Kelechi Nzediagwu and Onyedikachi Chibuike.

“They are currently detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department,” he said.

Investigation

Mr Okoye said Mr Bosso has directed the Command’s Complaint Response Unit to investigate the incident.

“The affected motorist is urged to report to the unit and provide relevant information to assist the investigation,” he said.

“Appropriate disciplinary action will follow upon its conclusion.”

The spokesperson said the state police have reiterated that no traffic violation justifies extortion, harassment, or abuse of office.

“All personnel have been warned to discharge their duties in accordance with the law and treat members of the public with respect,” he said.

He said the state police command has urged residents of the state to report incidents of police misconduct through the appropriate channels, assuring them that allegations of misconduct would be treated seriously.

Not the first time

Accusations of extortion against Nigerian security operatives, especially the police, are not new in the country.

In fact, cases of police brutality, extortion, extrajudicial killings and other unprofessional activities in Nigeria have continued despite sanctions by police authorities, such as dismissal from service.

The latest incident occurred about six months after the police in Anambra State arrested and detained six senior officers who allegedly tortured and extorted ₦200,000 from a trader in Onitsha, the commercial hub of the South-eastern state.

In February, three officers were dismissed over alleged kidnapping, extortion of N1.7 million and car snatching in Imo, another state in the South-east.

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Last January, police operatives shot dead a private motorcyclist in Ebonyi State.

In November 2024, police operatives from the Crack Squad in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, shot dead a labourer and critically injured three others in the state.

A similar incident happened in the same Abakaliki in 2018 when a police officer shot and killed a commercial motorcyclist for allegedly refusing to give him a N50 bribe.

In August 2024, police operatives in Bayelsa State extorted ₦3 million from a Nigerian man at gunpoint.

The victim later petitioned police authorities, and the officers were arrested.

The police operatives later returned the ₦3 million to the victim, about three weeks later.