Five police officers attached to the Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos Police Command, are in serious trouble for allegedly receiving a bribe of ₦150,000 from a suspected fraudster who has been on the radar of the police for many months.
According to the reports, the police who have been arrested and are currently in detention, had arrested the suspect identified as Ifeanyi, a notorious internet fraudster and demanded the money in exchange for his freedom.
The suspect was said to have taken the accused police officers to an ATM machine and withdrew the sum for them while they allowed him to escape.
A police source told Punch Metro:
"The incident happened on Wednesday, January 7, 2015. The five police officers arrested him and then took him to the ATM.
"After the withdrawal of an initial sum of ₦100,000, they asked him to make a transfer of the remaining sum.
"After he did that, they freed him and allowed him to go."
The suspect then turned round to be the nemesis of the police officers as he petitioned the police, asking for a probe of the 5 officers whom he claimed framed him up to extort the money from him, as he was innocent of the accusation leveled against him.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the arrest of the officers, just as the force were investigating the petition, adding that anybody found culpable would be punished.
"In line with the Commissioner of Police’s stance on anti-corruption, transparency and professional conduct, we arrested the officers. The CP has said he has zero tolerance for corruption.
"We got information and the policemen were picked up by officers from the state CID, to ascertain the veracity of the allegation.
"The investigation will be thorough. And if anybody is found on the wrong side of our code of ethics, the person will be dealt with."
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