Metro

Man Narrates How Edo Cops Extorted N103,000 From Him

Published

3 years ago

July 20, 2022

An architect, Arc Edwardz, has narrated how police officers suspected to be men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad extorted N103,000.00 from him in Okada, along the Benin-Ore Expressway, Edo State.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Arc Edwardz, the architect said the policemen, who introduced themselves to him as anti-crime special force, flagged down his car while he was travelling to Benin City from Lagos, and took him off the highway to a secluded place where they extorted the money from him.

Narrating his ordeal, Edwardz said he respectfully stepped out of his car and commended the officers for their efforts in fighting crime unknown to him that he was “their next target for extortion.”

He said he was threatened and forced to unlock his phone with his fingerprint. He alleged that the policemen made him open his banking app and demanded that he should give them some money.

Edwardz also alleged that the cops had with them a young boy with a Point of Sale machine, and it was through the PoS that the officers collected the money.

The statement reads, “Few days ago, on my way to Benin, I was actually coming from Lagos when I encountered some police personnel popularly known as SARS at the Okada axis (area) of the Benin-Ore Expressway.

“They stopped my car and asked me to come down. Respectfully, I came down as they introduced themselves to me as anti-crime special force. I appreciated them for their positions (efforts) to check out for crimes on the highway, not knowing I was their next target for extortion.

“They actually took me off the express road and took me to a shaded place where they forcefully collected my phone and asked me to open (unlock it) with my fingerprint. I forcefully did after I was being threatened because I (had) told them they had no right to my phone that it was against my right as a citizen.

“They checked my phone, God knows what they were looking for, the next thing I heard was (that) I should put the password to my bank app. I did it under duress so they told me I was going to give them some money from my account. I thought it was all (a) joke.

Debit alert. Source: PUNCH

“There (was) a standby PoS boy that stayed with them there. The boy brought his PoS (machine) as they forcefully debited me N100,000 (One hundred thousand naira). As if that was not enough, the PoS guy added his charges, which was N3,000, making (a total of) N103,000 as seen n the picture.

“The picture above is the picture of the SARS guy (officer) as he was searching my phone unknowing to him that he had taken a shot of himself with my phone.

“I thought this whole thing had stopped.”

Recall that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force was disbanded in October 2020 following days of online and offline protests against the brutality and extra-judicial killings by its officers nationwide.

The protest, which was hash-tagged #EndSARS, attracted a global outrage against the police squad and calls for its disbandment.

PUNCH.

Metro

Hotel Under Construction Collapses In Edo Kills Owner

Published

14 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

Tragedy struck in the Idumoza community, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State, as a hotel building under construction caved in, killing its owner, identified as Andrew Isesere.

The incident occurred last Friday while Isesere was reportedly inside the building.

Over 20 workers who were also at the site narrowly escaped death, according to eyewitnesses.

The lifeless body of the owner was recovered from the debris on Sunday morning.

Neighbours in the area expressed concern over the quality of materials used in the construction, noting that warnings had previously been issued to the deceased.

Andrew Inegbebor, a resident who spoke to reporters, said, “The owner was told he was using low quality material. He used 12mm instead of 16mm rods for the pillars. There was no base basket at the pillars. Look at the result.”

“The building collapsed because of substandard materials that were used. There was no engineer on site. The dead owner supervised the house. The house later collapsed and killed him , but some workers escaped,” he added.

At the time of filing this report, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said that he had not received a briefing on the incident.

Metro

Police Arrest Stolen Phone Tracker-altering Gang In Imo

Published

1 day ago

August 2, 2025

Editor

The Imo State Police Command has dismantled a cult gang that specialised in phone theft, burglary, and altering the tracking device of phones in Eziobodo, in the Owerri West Local Government Area.

This is even as the Command has arrested several people linked to various phone robberies within the Owerri federal constituency.

Police spokesperson for Imo State command, DSP Henry Okoye, made the disclosure on Saturday morning.

Okoye disclosed that following a complaint by a phone dealer whose shop was burgled on July 11th, 2025, within Eziobodo, operatives of the Anti-Vice commenced an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect with four brand new but stolen phones.

Intense investigation led the Police to the principal burglar behind the robbery and another accomplice who specialised in altering phone IMEI, which blocks the tracking of such phones.

Okoye said, “Following a complaint by a phone dealer whose shop in Eziobodo was burgled on 11th July 2025, operatives of the Anti-Vice Unit arrested a suspect in possession of four brand-new stolen phones. Investigations led to the arrest of the principal burglar and another accomplice who specialised in altering phone IMEI numbers to evade tracking”.

He disclosed that all the suspects arrested are currently in custody, while efforts have been intensified to apprehend other members of the syndicate.

Okoye said in another development, operatives of the Orji Police Station on July 31st, 2025, at about 9pm (2100hrs) arrested one Ernest Nweke ‘m’ at Bishop’s Court roundabout, in the Owerri North LGA, following a distress call from concerned citizens.

The suspect, who is a native of Umuoji in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State but resident in the World Bank area of Owerri, was arrested with a locally fabricated pistol after he and three others allegedly robbed one Emmanuel FearGod ‘m’ of Fountain of Knowledge Hostel.

Okoye said, “Nweke, who confessed to being a member of the Vikings cult group, was identified by the victim and arrested while the others fled. Based on his confession, four other suspects: Chamberlain Prince, Akujuobi Godwin, Ugwuelu Joseph, and Frederick Chigozie were arrested the next morning and also confessed to the crime. All suspects are currently undergoing investigation and will be duly prosecuted in court”.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has commended the officers for their swift action and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to fight crime.

The Police boss urged residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest Police Station or through 0803 477 3600.

Metro

Police Arrest Fleeing Anambra Suspected Kidnapper In Kaduna

Published

1 day ago

August 2, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, John Chinagorom, who is said to have been on the Command’s wanted list.

A statement released on Saturday by the Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect was arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State, with the assistance of the Kaduna State Police Command.

Ikenga said his arrest followed a credible intelligence received by operatives of the Ozubulu Police Division on August 1, that the suspect, who is linked to a kidnapping case in Anambra, was sighted at PZ Park Road, Zaria, Kaduna State.

The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that its officers, with the assistance of the Kaduna State Police Command, have arrested John Chinagorom ‘M’, a suspected kidnapper, who has been on the Command’s wanted list.

“This follows a credible intelligence received by operatives of the Ozubulu Police Division at noon of 1st August 2025, that the suspect, John Chinagorom, who is linked to a kidnapping Case reported on 15th April 2025, was sighted at PZ Park Road, Zaria, Kaduna State.

“Acting swiftly on the information, a team of Police detectives from the Division was dispatched, and they successfully apprehended the suspect at his hideout in Zaria, with the assistance of officers of the Kaduna State Police Command.

“The suspect is currently in custody and is assisting the Police in the ongoing investigation.”

He urged the general public to remain calm, assuring them that the security situation in the state is under control as joint security patrols and other crime prevention operations are ongoing.

“Meanwhile, the general security situation across other parts of the State remains calm, as counter-terrorism and other crime prevention operations continue.

“Further developments will be communicated in due course,” he added.