Nigerian Policemen Extort N300,000 Cash From Motorist In Delta State Amid Naira Notes Scarcity

The incident, SaharaReporters gathered, happened over the weekend along the major DSC expressway when the police team from Ebrumede police station flagged down the driver.

Three policemen attached to the Ebrumede police station in the Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State have been arrested and detained at the state police headquarters, Asaba, for allegedly extorting the sum of N300,000 from a driver over tinted glass permit.

The incident, SaharaReporters gathered, happened over the weekend along the major DSC expressway when the police team from Ebrumede police station flagged down the driver who was in company of his friend and demanded for his vehicle licence.

On noticing that the papers were correct, they went further to request for the tinted glass permit of his vehicle which the driver could not provide.

According to a police officer attached to the Ebrumede police station who pleaded for anonymity, on discovering the driver had no tinted glass permit, the three policemen at this point impounded his vehicle and asked him to bring N300,000 to get his car released.

"After much pleading with the patrol team that he had no cash on him, my colleagues suggested to him to get the money for them from a nearest POS to enable him leave with his car immediately.

“On getting to the POS the driver withdrew the sum of N300,000 cash and gave to the team and his vehicle and licence were immediately handed over to him. We learnt that after the extortion, the driver reported the incident to a member of a prominent human rights group in the area who in turn got through to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, in Abuja.

"Without wasting of time, the IGP immediately reached out to the commissioner of police, Delta state command, CP Ari Muhammed Ali. The three policemen involved in the extortion were immediately summoned on Monday with the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), in charge of the Ebrumede police station, CSP Indifreke Iwok to the police headquarters in Asaba by the CP to explain their roles played in the incident.

"After hearing from the patrol team and the DPO, the CP ordered the detention of the three police offers involved in the extortion while the DPO was asked to report again on Wednesday at the command's headquarters Asaba to further explain his involvement in the scenario that led to the incident.

“However, as we talk, I can confirm to you that the N300,000 extorted from the driver by the three policemen has been since refunded,” the source stated.

When contacted the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), in charge of the Ebrumede police station, CSP Indifreke Iwok, neither confirmed nor denied the extortion, asking "How did you get my number, please who gave you my number? Call the PPRO. In fact, go ahead and publish whatever you want to publish."