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Officers extorting civilians may be treated as armed robbers: Police

“We may treat some of our recalcitrant policemen who are fond of taking innocent Nigerians to ATM, Banks or hidden arenas to forcefully extort them, with arms, as armed robbers.”

• June 3, 2022
Police caught extorting motorist
Police caught on camera extorting motorist

The Nigeria Police Force has warned that police officers found extorting civilians may be treated as armed robbers.

Issuing this warning in a tweet on Thursday, police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said extortion contravenes the rules, regulations and ethics of the police.

“We may treat some of our recalcitrant policemen who are fond of taking innocent Nigerians to ATM, Banks or hidden arenas to forcefully extort them, with arms, as armed robbers,” he tweeted. “By simple definition and interpretation, of law, anyone who possesses firearms or offensive weapons and takes one’s property with element of force or violence is simply armed robbery, nothing more. We detest and condemn this development or action which is in total contravention of our rules and regulations, and ethics as a responsible institution.”

Despite nationwide protests by Nigerian youths in October 2020 against widespread police extortion and brutality, extortion perpetrated by police officers has not stopped.

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