The Nigerian Police Force has disclosed how a group of police officers corruptly obtained ₦43,160,000 from a cargo worker at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja last year.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the NPF Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi, the incident occurred in August 2023 and found Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all of whom work at the Zone 7 Headquarters, guilty of the crime.
Officers, led by Inspector Esther Okafor and instructed by DSP Peter Ejike, wrongfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting ₦74,950,000 for clients.
According to Ogunjobi, the police detained Ejah without authority at Zone 7 Headquarters in Abuja and intentionally misrepresented the recovered money as ₦31,790,000. The authorities also requested a share of the proceeds to close the case.
When contacted by the supposed money owners, the cops stated that the amount they had seized from the apprehended suspect was N31,790,000. They demanded a portion of the funds to jeopardise the investigation and suppress the case.
Outraged by their acts, the money owners petitioned the Force Headquarters in Abuja, and the case was referred to the IGP Monitoring Unit for investigation.
During the procedure, the officers recovered N31,790,000 in cash, claiming that this was the whole amount recovered from Andrew Ejah during his detention.
Following extensive investigations and a series of trials before duly constituted disciplinary panels, NPD stated that it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of money at the point of arrest but claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.
However, forensic information revealed that the policemen planned to steal a portion of the money, totalling N43,160,000, and tasked one of them with moving the cash out of the FCT for hiding until the heat subsided.
They then used a variety of techniques and gimmicks to hide their traces. One example is the dissemination of this misleading narrative and misinformation throughout numerous internet blogs and newspaper platforms.
“The Nigeria Police Force is concerned about recent media reports claiming that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, is protecting a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The NPF unequivocally rejects these charges, describing them as unfounded and orchestrated attempts to destroy the IGP’s image and the Force’s integrity.
“They then used a variety of techniques and gimmicks to hide their traces. One example is the dissemination of this misleading narrative and misinformation throughout numerous internet blogs and newspaper platforms.
“The event at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 26, 2023, has been thoroughly examined. The officers involved—DSP Peter Ejike (a lawyer in charge of the Zone 7 Legal Section), Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all from the Zone 7 Headquarters—were found guilty and sentenced appropriately.
“These policemen have been suspended after being found guilty of significant misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, unauthorised duty, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer. The movement of such a large sum of money by the supposed cargo company could have been probed and handled professionally by the police, but the officers were consumed by greed and thus acted criminally and unprofessionally.
“It is important to highlight that the circulating false narrative is sponsored misinformation created by mischief makers who seek to divert attention away from the illegal conduct of police personnel by seeking to link concerns with the Inspector-General of Police. The policemen involved will face prosecution once all legal and administrative procedures have been completed,” according to the statement.
The NPF requested the public and media to stop disseminating this false narrative, which aims to tarnish the Inspector-General of Police’s reputation.
It stated that such misinformation weakens public trust and distracts from the current administration’s ongoing attempts to modernise the police force by removing unprofessional individuals.