Nigerian police, on Friday, disclosed disciplinary actions taken against its officers kidnapping for ransom, extorting and robbing citizens. 

The police, in a statement by its spokesperson on Friday, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said some officers were demoted and some fired for extorting citizens, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and other criminal activities. 

“One Inspector Adabo Mohammed was dismissed for the offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery/kidnapping, and corrupt practice,” Mr Adejobi said. 

He added that, “The dismissed officer, along with 5 others were members of an armed robbery gang responsible for the robbery of the sum of N29.8 million from a victim in Gwagwalada, FCT as well as the kidnap of one Ikechukwu Emmanuel Okafor in Tunga Manje and the collection of ransom sum of N4.4m. The ex-officer has been charged to court accordingly.” 

The police spokesperson further said, “the trio of Inspectors Osagie Efford, Semiu Agbekin, and Francis Ahuen, attached to the Special Tactical Squad (STS), have been demoted to their previous rank of Sergeant for the extortion of some motorists in Abuja. The trio intercepted an unregistered Mercedes Benz at Gwarinpa, Abuja, and forced the occupants to part with the total sum of N29.4 million.”

According to Mr Adejobi, the wave of disciplinary actions against errant officers is part of a broader initiative to implement comprehensive reforms within the police force.

Due to nefarious and criminal activities of some of its officers, Nigerian police have been regarded as one of most corrupt public institutions in Nigeria. 

In 2020, ENDSARS, a nationwide protest against years of police brutality, extortion and extra judicial killing by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian police, broke out, lasting for almost three weeks.

The historic protest led topanel of enquiries set up by state governments to investigate and compensate families of victims of police brutality in the country, while the SARS was scrapped.

However, four years after the scrapping of SARS, some police officers still extort, rob and kidnap citizens for ransom as admitted by Mr Adejobi.