LAGOS:
FOUR POLICEMEN ARRESTED FOR ROBBERY, BLACKMAIL
Four policemen attached to Ijanikin Division, Badagry, have been arrested for allegedly robbing a Togo based Nigerian man of his CFA 350,000.
Inspector Victor Amiete, Sergeants Samuel Gbemunu and Afolabi Oluwaseun as well as Corporal Adigun Omotayo are currently being detained at the Provost Section, Command Headquarters, Ikeja.
It was gathered that they robbed their victim, Theodore Ifunnaya on December 17, around Iyana-Era, during a stop and search operation.
Ifunnaya who was returning home from his base for the yuletide, was allegedly bundled into a patrol vehicle by the suspects and taken to their station as soon as they saw the money on him.
It was gathered that the alleged rogue cops also tortured, stripped and photographed the victim before they seized his foreign currency.
The suspects were said to have subsequently invited a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator who changed the money and gave them the naira equivalent of it from where they gave Ifunnaya N2, 000 to locate his Lagos address.
It was gathered that the culprits threatened to release the nude pictures taken of Ifunnaya on social media as well as accuse him of cultism, armed robbery if he protested.
The suspects were however unfortunate as Ifunnaya’s relatives were said to know the Area K Commander Hope Okafor, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and reported the matter to her as soon as he narrated his ordeal.
Okafor, it was gathered contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits, recovery of the money.
The victim, it was gathered, had since travelled to Owerri, Imo State for fear that colleagues of the suspects could come after him.
Confirmimg the arrest, spokesmam for the command Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) reiterated the Police Commissioner’s zero tolerance for corruption.
Oti denied the victim was stripped during interrogation.
He said the arrest was immediate and possible as a result of the command’s stance on corruption and indiscipline, adding that the officers were undergoing trial.
