The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it has suspended four officers who were involved in the theft of N43.16 million from a total of N74.95 million that was recovered during an unauthorized arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The force spokesperson, ACP. Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement released on Wednesday, announced that DSP Peter Ejike, Insp. Ekende Edwin, Insp. Esther Okafor, and Sgt. Talabi Kayode were found guilty of misconduct, including tampering with exhibits and abuse of office.
According to Adejobi, the officers, led by Insp. Okafor and acting under DSP Ejike’s directive, arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, in August 2023, while he was transporting ₦74.95 million on behalf of clients, but they only reported recovering ₦31.79 million, allegedly concealing the remaining ₦43.16 million.
The suspension of the officers comes amid social media allegations that Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun was shielding a cartel of currency smugglers, which the police have since refuted as baseless and orchestrated attempts to tarnish the IGP’s reputation.
The matter was subsequently escalated to the IGP Monitoring Unit following a petition filed by the owners of the recovered funds.
Adejobi said the allegations of currency smuggling were thoroughly investigated; the police officers were found to have acted illegally by intercepting the cash and detaining an employee of the company that owned the money without authorization.
The statement said: “The Nigeria Police Force has noted with concern the recent allegations circulating in the media, suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, is shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The NPF categorically refutes these claims, condemning them as baseless and orchestrated attempts to tarnish the IGP’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.
“The incident in question, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 26, 2023, has been thoroughly investigated.
“The officers involved—DSP Peter Ejike (a lawyer in charge of Zone 7 Legal Section), Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters—were found culpable and sanctioned appropriately.
“These officers, led by Inspector Esther Okafor on the instruction of DSP Peter Ejike, unlawfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was conveying the cash sum of ₦74,950,000 on behalf of clients.
“Acting without authorization, they detained Mr. Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, and deliberately misrepresented the recovered amount as ₦31,790,000. The officers further demanded a percentage of the funds to suppress the case.
“Upon being contacted by the alleged owners of the money, the officers claimed that the sum they had recovered from the arrested suspect was N31,790,000 and requested a percentage of the money to jeopardise the investigation and suppress the case.
“Outraged by their actions, the money owners petitioned the Force Headquarters, Abuja, and the matter was directed to the IGP Monitoring Unit for investigation.
“During the process, the cash sum of N31,790,000 was recovered from the officers, who claimed that it was the total money recovered from Andrew Ejah during his arrest.
“After intense investigations and a series of trial before duly constituted disciplinary panels, it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of monies at the point of arrest but claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.
“However, forensic intelligence showed that this group of officers conspired and stole part of the money, amounting to N43,160,000, and tasked one of them to move the cash out of the FCT for hiding pending when the heat blows over.
“They thereafter resorted to several tricks and gimmicks in order to cover their tracks. One of which is the spread of this false narrative and misinformation to several online blogs and newspaper platforms.
“These officers have been suspended, being found culpable of serious misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, illegal duty, and acts unbecoming of a police officer.
“The movement of such an amount of money by the alleged cargo company could have been investigated and handled professionally by the police, but the officers were carried away by greed and therefore acted criminally and unprofessionally.
“It is pertinent to note that the circulating false narrative is a sponsored misinformation cultivated by mischief makers who seek to divert attention from the criminal acts of the police officers by attempting to join issues with the Inspector-General of Police.”
It added: “The affected officers will be prosecuted upon conclusion of due legal and administrative procedures.
We urge the public and the media to refrain from spreading this false narrative aimed at tainting the reputation of the Inspector-General of Police.
“Such misinformation undermines public trust and detracts from the ongoing efforts of the current administration to reform the police force by eradicating unprofessional elements.”
The IGP has been leading a crusade against corrupt police officers, demonstrating a zero-tolerance policy for corruption and misconduct within the force.
Under his leadership, the NPF has taken decisive actions against officers found guilty of corruption, extortion, and other forms of misconduct.
Egbetokun reaffirmed the NPF’s commitment to zero tolerance for corruption, extortion, and impunity among its officers during the commissioning of the Rivers State Police Command’s Complaint Response Unit office in Port Harcourt on October 23.
He emphasized that the police must live up to public expectations by ensuring transparency and accountability.
Egbetokun also urged members of the public to take advantage of the Complaint Response Unit to report cases of misconduct, human rights abuses, extortion, and other forms of corruption by officers, assuring them of confidentiality.
Persecondnews recalls that IGP Egbetokun suspended four officers from the Zone 16 Zonal Headquarters in Yenegoa on November 8 for allegedly extorting N10 million from a group of young Nigerians.
The stolen funds were successfully recovered and returned to the owners.
The officers involved were ASP. Emmanuel Ubong, Insp. Nse Okon, Insp. Adiewere Collins, and Insp. Kuromare Marine.
Also, the Rivers State Police Command took disciplinary action in March, suspending three officers and withholding their salaries after they were implicated in the alleged extortion of $3000 from two travellers in Abia State.
Three officers, comprising an inspector and two assistant superintendents of police, allegedly abducted two men in Aba, the Abia State capital, and transported them to Port Harcourt, where they extorted them.
Following their arrest, the command subjected the inspector to an orderly room trial and later dismissed him while the two ASPs were officially queried and recommended for dismissal.
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