Policemen refund victim’s money after being caught

Juliana Francis

The three policemen, working with the Enugu State Police Command, who arrested a passenger, Nnanemere Valentine Chidi, for being in possession of a laptop and then demanding for N500, 000 as bail, have been fished out.

The policemen were said to have been fished out by the Officer in Charge of Patrol, Enugu State. Although the policemen finally collected N30, 000 bribe from the victim before granting him bail, yesterday however, they refunded Nnanemere his money, adding extra N10, 000 to make the total money sent to him N40,000.

The Acting Programme Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), a nonprofit governmental human rights advocacy organization, Peter Nkanga, told our reporter that the OC contacted the organization in respect of the petition.

Nkanga said: “The OC of the three policemen called our organization today, in respect of the petition, which we were already planning to send to the Enugu State Commissioner of Police. The OC claimed that someone, who read the petition on a platform, forwarded it to him yesterday. He said that he was appalled. According to the OC, he has been able to identify the three policemen, who after initial denial, admitted that they committed the crime as adumbrated in the petition. The OC unreservedly condemned the actions of his men and has asked them to immediately raise the N30,000 they robbed from the young man as well as the extra cost he incurred paying transport a second time to continue his journey to Abuja. He also promised to deal 'departmentally' with the 'greedy officers' as he described them, for deterrence.

“He has mandated the officers to immediately call the victim, apologise to him and collect his account number for the refunds. He has also personally called and apologised to the victim and asked him to confirm to him as soon as he receives the refunds.”

The policemen on Friday, flagged down Nnanemere and other passengers  around Opi junction, Nsukka and ordered everyone to come down for a search.

When they sighted Nnanemere with a laptop, they accused of being a cyber-fraudster. They insisted on taking him to their station even though he was travelling.

Nnanemere identified himself, including presenting his ID card, but the policemen refused to listen.

Nnanemere reportedly said: “They searched my bag and took my official laptop and two Huawei phones a colleague of mine asked me to repair, and accused me of being a yahoo boy. They also tried to persuade me to confess. I showed them my complimentary card and other ID cards, but they took me to one office, not a police station, where they took my statement. They took me to EFCC junction in Independence Layout. On the way, they told me that it was better I settled them if not I would spend more when we got there, and probably lose my job. They asked me to give them N500, 000. After much begging, we ended at N30, 000. They took me to UBA in Enugu, where I withdrew N40, 000.  I gave them N30, 000.”