The Nigerian Police have taken decisive action against officers engaged in misconduct, dismissing one officer involved in an alleged extortion case while investigations into similar incidents are ongoing.
Inspector Michael Odey has been dismissed following the recommendation of the Rivers State command, upheld by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 16, Bayelsa State, Alifa Omata. Odey’s dismissal, effective from February 7th, comes after he, along with Assistant Police Superintendents Doubara Edonyabo and Talent Mungo, were found guilty of extorting $3,000 from two Nigerians.
While Odey has been dismissed, the disciplinary process for Edonyabo and Mungo, due to their ranks, involves review by the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission. The Rivers State Police Command emphasizes the seriousness with which it handles misconduct by law enforcement agents and assures prompt actions to uphold fairness and justice.
The dismissal follows the swift response of the police authorities to a complaint raised by human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu, who alleged the abduction and extortion of victims by the officers. Upon identification, the officers were detained, and the extorted money was recovered and refunded to the victims.
However, investigations into two additional cases of similar nature involving the three officers are ongoing. This move highlights the commitment of the Nigerian Police to root out corruption and misconduct within its ranks.
The dismissal of Officer Odey is part of broader efforts to address the issue of police extortion across the country. Recent reports have exposed several cases of extortion, prompting the Inspector General of Police to warn of severe punishment for officers found guilty of such acts.
In Delta State, the Commissioner of Police recently removed a divisional crime officer over alleged extortion of N2.4 million, while officers from the Force Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Abuja were detained for extorting over N30 million from Nigerians.
