Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Edo Police Command has arrested seven of its personnel for extorting members of the public while on duty.
Edo Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Jennifer Iwegbu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), in an online statement, vowed the arrested officers, who contravened the law, would face disciplinary action.
She gave the names of the policemen as PC Victor Osabuohign, ASP Godspower Ijebu, Inspector Ebatamole Philip, Inspector Ademola Benjamin, Inspector Inaite Vincent, Inspector Robert Esikise and Inspector Adefaye Samuel.
Iwegbu said: “The attention of Edo State Police Command has been drawn to a video on Twitter, where a policeman, PC Victor Osabuohign, was seen engaging in an extortion conversation with a road user, identified as Architect Bolu.
“PC Victor Osabuohign, the officer in the viral video, has been arrested, detained, and he is currently undergoing investigation. The other operatives that have also been arrested before now, on the grounds of official corruption, are undergoing investigations while awaiting disciplinary actions.
“The command wishes to state that the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Abutu Yaro, has set up an ad hoc committee, headed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, ACP James Chu, and the command’s Provost Marshall, CSP Avanrenren Godwin, as the Deputy Chairman of the committee, to look at all cases of official corruption of officers and men of the command, investigate and meet out relevant disciplinary actions on such errant officers.
“The Edo commissioner of police calls on the good people of the state that have been victims of corruption, extortion and checking of phones or have any other form of grievances against corruption from officers and men of the command, to contact members of the panel.”
Iwegbu also quoted Yaro as urging members of the public to go about their daily activities as law abiding citizens and not to hesitate to report any misconduct of any of the personnel of the command, whether on duty or off duty.
