The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have denied reports accusing the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and some investigating officers of sharing monies recovered during an investigation in Rivers State.
Recently, a Nigerian identified as Davidson John released a video and a petition accusing the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and the Cyber Crime Unit of ‘cash-capture’ and illegal detention.
In the video, the SCID was accused of confiscating money only to ‘dash’ him N30m out of it in the hope of hushing up the entire case.
The narrative said John was a surveillance sub-contractor who showed his friend the balance of N105m he allegedly made after paying his boys, and how he wanted to buy property with it.
According to the narration, the next thing John saw was an invasion by a team of heavily-armed policemen who were allegedly shouting, ‘where is the money?’
He said after taking him along with a huge chunk of the money to the Cyber Crime Unit in Port Harcourt, they took him back to his home demanding the rest of the money. He said he confessed it was in the ceiling, and they found and collected it.
He said the SCID detained him for three days during which they allegedly debated on how to frame him up and take the money, adding that at a point, he went on, they asked him to admit they saw only N20m so that they could deceive the police commissioner of police during sharing of the booty they now considered theirs.
The video claimed that the SCID told John that they were going to share the money with their bosses, thus: IG N30m, CP N20m, DC N15m, AC N10m, Princess N9m, and N12m to the owner of the money.
Reacting, the force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, urged the public to be cautious of fraudsters who exploit the reputation of the IGP and other senior officers.
A statement by Adejobi urged Nigerians to report any police officer posing as an agent to carry out fraudulent activities.
Adejobi said: “The Nigeria Police Force hereby wishes to comment on recent allegations made by some media platforms alleging the involvement of the Inspector General of Police and other senior officers in the sharing of monies recovered in the course of an investigation. The Force views these allegations seriously, and we are committed to conducting a thorough and transparent investigation into the matter.
“To ensure that our investigation is comprehensive and unbiased, the complainant who has made these claims is hereby urged to contact the Force Public Relations Officer as we request your cooperation and any relevant information regarding the matter. We encourage you to reach out to the FPRO directly via phone at 08037168147.
“Additionally, we invite anyone else with information, including the blogger, Diamond Dietanuru Osakorigho of Pararan Mock News, who went ahead to attack the IGP’s personality using abusive words on social media platforms without bothering to make findings and verify issues on the incident in Rivers State Police Command. The IGP, while was, hitherto unaware of the extant case has tasked the IGP Monitoring Unit with carrying out indepth investigations into the allegations as well as the case which gave rise to the allegations so as to determine the culpability or otherwise of all parties involved.
“Furthermore, we would like to seize this opportunity to advise the public about the activities of fraudulent individuals who attempt to exploit the reputation of the Inspector General of Police and other senior officers for personal gains. We strongly urge members of the public to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of any individual claiming to represent Senior Police Officers in any unwholesome venture. In its commitment to ensuring transparency, some individuals who indulge in these fraudulent acts have been arrested and prosecuted. Our zero tolerance and spirited efforts to kick against these criminal acts, either from the members of the public or service officers, are paying off and evident.
“If anyone, including police officers, claims to be acting as an agent for the IGP or any senior Police officer for any suspicious or fraudulent activity, we urge you to report such smart moves immediately to the NPF and the Force Public Relations Officer or the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) desk in any state of the Federation.
“The Nigeria Police Force appreciates your cooperation and assistance in helping us ensure a fair and just investigation. Together, we can maintain the trust and confidence of the public in the Nigeria Police Force.”
