Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Lagos State Police Command has recovered and returned the N1.2 million extorted from a music producer in Lagos to its owner.
The music producer, Emmanuel Chibuze, was whisked away on Wednesday by about six armed police officers at Alapere, Ketu, after the officers flagged down the Uber he was riding.
The officers did not accuse Chibuze of any crime, rather he was taken to some destination and forced to wire N1.2 million to a POS agent who apparently was working in connivance with the officers.
“He was threatened with (an) AK-47 rifle and out of fear, (he) transferred (the money) as they instructed,” said Harrison Gwamnishu, the leader of a human rights group, the Society Against Brutality, who published the incident on Facebook.
Gwamnishu had uploaded on Facebook the transaction receipt as evidence against the officers, and appealed to the police authorities to take action.
The Lagos State Police Comamd spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said the officers have been identified and that the matter would be resolved by Wednesday night.
Hundeyin, a superintendent of police, later tweeted on Thursday  that the N1.2 million had been recovered from the officers.
“The officers have been identified. The money has been fully recovered and handed over to the victim. Disciplinary procedures commence in earnest.
“Rotten eggs will not be allowed in the Force. We’ll weed them out one at a time,” he said.
The police spokesperson did not, however, disclose the identity of the six officers.
A video clip posted on Facebook by Gwamnishu showed Chibuze collecting his money at a police station.
