The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed how four officers attached to Zone 7 Headquarters declared only N31.7 million despite recovering N79.4 million from a man unlawfully arrested at Lagos Airport.
The Force, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the clarification was necessary against the backdrop of social allegations against the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, accusing him of shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Adejobi said the officers attempted to steal N43,160,000 from the cash recovered from an employee of a company who had been arrested without authorization.
The claims, which he described as baseless, were “orchestrated attempts to tarnish the IGP’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.”
He also explained that despite deliberately misrepresenting the cash recovered, the officers in question further demanded a percentage of the fund to suppress the cash.
He added the officers have been found culpable and sanctioned appropriately,
He said, “The incident in question, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 26, 2023, has been thoroughly investigated.
“The officers involved – DSP Peter Ejike (a lawyer in charge of Zone 7 Legal Section), Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters – were found culpable and sanctioned appropriately.
“These officers, led by Inspector Esther Okafor on the instruction of DSP Peter Ejike, unlawfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was conveying the cash sum of N74,950,000 on behalf of clients.
“Acting without authorization, they detained Mr. Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, and deliberately misrepresented the recovered amount as N31,790,000.
‘The officers further demanded a percentage of the funds to suppress the case.
“Upon being contacted by the alleged owners of the money, the officers claimed that the sum they had recovered from the arrested suspect was N31,790,000, and requested a percentage of the money to jeopardise investigation and suppress the case.”
Continuing, the Force Spokesperson explained that the case was brought to the limelight following a petition to the Force Headquarters by the owners.
“Outraged by their actions, the money owners petitioned the Force Headquarters, Abuja and the matter was directed to the IGP Monitoring Unit for Investigation.
“During the process, the cash sum of N31,790,000 was recovered from the officers, who claimed that it was the total money recovered from Andrew Ejah during his arrest.
“After intense investigations and a series of trial, before duly constituted disciplinary panels, it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of monies at the point of arrest but claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost, in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.
“However, forensic intelligence showed that this group of officers conspired and stole part of the money, amounting to N43,160,000, and tasked one of them to move the cash out of the FCT for hiding pending when the heat blows over.”
According to him, the four officers, who are now suspended, resulted in spreading false narratives and misinformation to online blogs to cover their tracks.
He continued: “They thereafter resorted to several tricks and gimmicks in order to cover their tracks. One of which is the spread of this false narrative and misinformation to several online blogs and newspaper platforms.
“These officers have been suspended, being found culpable of serious misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, illegal duty, and acts unbecoming of a police officer.
“The movement of such an amount of money by the alleged cargo company could have been investigated and handled professionally by the police, but the officers were carried away by greed and therefore acted criminally and unprofessionally.
“It is pertinent to note that the circulating false narrative is a sponsored misinformation cultivated by mischief makers who seek to divert attention from the criminal acts of the police officers by attempting to join issues with the Inspector-General of Police.
“The affected officers will be prosecuted upon conclusion of due legal and administrative procedures.
“We urge the public and the media to refrain from spreading this false narrative aimed at tainting the reputation of the Inspector-General of Police.
“Such misinformation undermines public trust and detracts from the ongoing efforts of the current administration to reform the Police Force by eradicating unprofessional elements.”
