Four Nigerian police officers have been arrested after they allegedly extorted 53,000 naira from the head of the country’s anti-corruption agency, who they reportedly stopped at an illegal roadside checkpoint in the capital, Abuja.
The officers are accused of abandoning their official duty posts to set up an unauthorised roadblock where they allegedly demanded money from motorists.
According to Nigerian authorities, the incident occurred on Saturday when the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, was stopped while driving in Abuja.
Aliyu alleged that one of the officers entered his vehicle after requesting his driver’s licence and threatened to take him to court over an alleged traffic offence.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, Aliyu said the officer claimed he would be fined 52,000 naira if the matter went to court before demanding cash instead.
“I asked him to give me his bank account number so I could transfer the money, but he refused,” Aliyu said. He alleged that he was then compelled to withdraw 53,000 naira from a nearby cash machine and hand over the money.
The incident was immediately reported, prompting what Abuja Police Commissioner Ahmed Sanusi described as an intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of the alleged ringleader and three other officers.
Commissioner Sanusi condemned the officers’ alleged conduct, accusing them of abusing their authority and warning that such behaviour would not be tolerated.
“You have to choose: either a policeman or a thief. You cannot be both. If you fail to choose, your actions will determine where you belong,” he said.
The four officers are currently facing internal disciplinary proceedings, which could result in their dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force. Authorities say investigations are continuing.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Nigeria, where allegations of police corruption and roadside extortion have long been a source of public concern.
