DPO removed for allegedly taking N2 million bribe from Lagos traditional ruler to release armed robbery suspects

The traditional ruler reportedly offered a bribe for the release of his workers suspected of being armed robbers.

Olumayowa Samuel • January 29, 2024

Nigeria Police Force

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has ordered the divisional police officer of the Epe Divisional Headquarters, CSP Godwin Okoruwa, to step aside for allegedly receiving N2 million bribe from a paramount ruler to release armed robbery suspects.

According to a statement by the Lagos police spokesperson David Hundeyin, the traditional ruler offered the bribe for the release of his workers suspected to be armed robbers.

Mr Hundeyin said the commissioner also ordered an investigation into the allegation against the DPO, which was published by an outlet known as Crimewatch and titled: ‘Lagos DPO Queried For Accepting N2 million To Release Suspected Armed Robbers’.

“Pending the outcome of the investigation and on the instruction of the CP, the DPO has stepped aside,” said Mr Hundeyin.

He confirmed that the police had transferred the suspects to the command headquarters in Ikeja after their arrest.

It was learnt that officers on stop-and-search arrested the suspects with locally made guns and interrogated them when the traditional ruler contacted the DPO, claiming the suspects were his workers and not armed robbers.

“He reportedly signed a N2 million cheque and sent it through one of his boys to the DPO with an instruction to give N1 million to the boys that arrested the suspects and the remaining N1 million for the DPO,” the outlet said in its report.

The DPO allegedly collected the cheque, and in the process of releasing the suspects, a traditional ruler in the Bariga area of the state alerted the CP, who subsequently ordered the transfer of the suspects to the Command Headquarters, Ikeja.

“Confused on what next to do, reports say the DPO, who do(sic) not on the one hand want to undermine the paramount ruler said to be his benefactor and on the other, risk his job by disobeying his boss, quickly moved the boys handcuffed from the station to an unnamed hotel to sleep to avoid the visit of the paramount ruler and as early as 5:00 a.m., boarded a vehicle to Ikeja as instructed by the CP,” the outlet said.

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