ASP, Two Inspectors Among Six Dismissed Police Officers In Edo For Extortion

By Ayodele Oni 

In a renewed push to enforce discipline and accountability within the Force, Edo State Police Command has dismissed six officers over their alleged involvement in an organised extortion ring operating in Benin City. 

The Command disclosed that the affected officers were implicated in a criminal syndicate accused of harassing, abducting and extorting unsuspecting residents while posing as legitimate operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, said the action followed the conclusion of preliminary investigations and internal disciplinary procedures.

According to the statement, the dismissed officers, alongside other accomplices, operated a coordinated network that targeted residents, particularly around the Teboga axis off Aduwawa in Benin City.

Victims were allegedly forced into vehicles, intimidated, and compelled under duress to transfer money through Point of Sale (POS) operators.

Those named in connection with the syndicate include ASP Bonny Paul Onajite; Inspectors Ehubarieme Wisdom and Arebame God’s Power; Corporals Mordi Philip and Okon Elvis; as well as Destiny Emmanuel, a previously dismissed corporal. 

Civilian collaborators identified by the police include POS operator Goodluck Jaja and two mini-bus drivers, Samuel Nicholas and Etim Bright.

The Command said the serving officers underwent orderly room trials, which resulted in their dismissal, while all suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.

Describing the acts as a gross abuse of office and a betrayal of public trust, the police noted that the suspects exploited official uniforms and accoutrements to perpetrate criminal activities, thereby bringing the Force into disrepute.

The Command, however, assured residents of its commitment to sanitising the system and eliminating bad elements, urging members of the public who may have fallen victim to the syndicate to come forward with useful information.

It also warned POS operators and other service providers against facilitating unlawful transactions, stressing that anyone found complicit would face arrest and prosecution.

The police added that the action aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, noting that no officer found culpable would be shielded from the full weight of the law.