Police arrest 4 officers over N20m extortion in Bayelsa

The Zone 16 Command of the Nigeria Police Force has ordered the arrest and investigation of four personnel, including an inspector, over their alleged involvement in the abduction and extortion of N20 million from two suspected internet fraudsters in Bayelsa State. City & Crime gathered that though the police personnel were currently under custody, their […]

The Zone 16 Command of the Nigeria Police Force has ordered the arrest and investigation of four personnel, including an inspector, over their alleged involvement in the abduction and extortion of N20 million from two suspected internet fraudsters in Bayelsa State.

City & Crime gathered that though the police personnel were currently under custody, their civilian accomplice who set up the Yahoo boys for the extortion scam was on the run.

The accused policemen had on Monday stormed the residence of the Yahoo boys who had just returned from Ghana, arrested and blindfolded them to a hotel in the Azikoro area of Yenagoa.

It was gathered that erring officers threatened to kill the internet fraudsters if they didn’t part with N50m, claiming that someone from Ghana accused them of theft and the boys succumbed and agreed to pay N20m, whereupon they were taken them to a GTB and an Access Bank in Yenagoa where they made two separate transfers of N7m and N13m to the policemen.

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A friend of the victims who learnt about their ordeal reported to the police headquarters’ number advertised, an action that attracted the attention of police authorities.

A source close to the command said the AIG in charge of Zone 16, Benjamin Okolo, ordered the arrest of the accused personnel.

He said, “They were not members of a team. They work at various units but do shady deals together. In the past, they were nearly killed by some military officers along Agbura Road in Ogbia LGA where they mounted an illegal road block.

“The accused police personnel have returned the N2.5m they each made from the Yahoo boys extortion deal, one of the civilian accomplices has returned his own share, while the other one who was arrested and granted bail has absconded.”

Confirming the incident, the Zone 16 spokesman, SP Ikwo Kevin, confirmed the incident.