Four police officers arrested for allegedly extorting ICPC chairman in Abuja.

By Divine Sam

Four officers of the Nigeria Police Force have been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command for allegedly extorting ₦53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), in Abuja.

The officers were reportedly apprehended following an intelligence-led investigation launched after Dr. Aliyu reported the incident to the authorities. According to the FCT Commissioner of Police, the suspects had abandoned their assigned duty posts and allegedly mounted an unauthorized stop-and-search operation around the Banex area of Wuse, Abuja.

Police authorities disclosed that the officers, unaware of the identity of their victim, allegedly compelled the ICPC chairman to withdraw cash from a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, after which the money was shared among them. The amount involved was put at ₦53,000.

Speaking on the development, the FCT Police Command described the actions of the officers as criminal and inconsistent with the ethics and operational standards of the Nigeria Police Force.

“I must say here too that we have about four policemen in custody as we speak who successfully extorted somebody of high importance, unknown to them that this person is a highly placed person in society. In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC,” the Commissioner of Police stated.

The command further assured residents that disciplinary measures and possible criminal prosecution would follow the conclusion of ongoing investigations, reiterating its commitment to sanitizing the force and eliminating misconduct among personnel.

The incident has sparked widespread reactions across the country, with many Nigerians describing it as another stark reminder of the persistent challenge of police extortion and abuse of power despite ongoing reforms within the Nigeria Police Force.

The ICPC chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has not publicly commented on the matter as of the time of filing this report.