Three Police Officers Suspended for Allegedly Stealing Over N43m from Cargo Worker in Abuja

The Nigerian Police Force has revealed details of how a group of officers extorted ₦43,160,000 from a cargo worker at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in August 2023.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 4, Police spokesperson ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi identified the involved officers as Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all from Zone 7 Headquarters.

According to the statement, the officers, acting on the orders of DSP Peter Ejike, unlawfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting ₦74,950,000 in cash on behalf of clients.

ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi disclosed that the implicated officers acted without proper authorization, detaining Andrew Ejah at Zone 7 Headquarters in Abuja and falsely reporting the amount recovered from him as ₦31,790,000.

The officers reportedly informed the money’s owners that ₦31,790,000 had been seized and demanded a cut of the amount to undermine the investigation and suppress the case. Outraged by this, the owners petitioned the Force Headquarters, prompting the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit to investigate.

During the investigation, ₦31,790,000 was recovered from the officers, who continued to insist it was the full amount seized from Ejah at the time of his arrest. However, evidence from the investigation revealed that the officers had taken photos of the suspect and the sacks of cash during the arrest.

The officers later claimed the phone containing these photos was damaged and subsequently lost, an attempt to cover up their actions.

Following thorough inquiries and disciplinary hearings, the misconduct was established, confirming the officers’ deliberate misrepresentation of facts and their attempts to obstruct justice.

However, forensic investigations revealed that the officers conspired to steal ₦43,160,000 from the recovered funds and assigned one of them to transport the stolen cash out of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for safekeeping, anticipating that the controversy would subside.

In an effort to cover their tracks, the officers resorted to various deceptive tactics, including disseminating false narratives and misinformation to several online blogs and media outlets, ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi stated.

“The Nigeria Police Force has noted with concern the recent allegations circulating in the media, suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, is shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The NPF categorically refutes these claims, condemning them as baseless and orchestrated attempts to tarnish the IGP’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.

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 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,” the statement added.

ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi called on the public and media to avoid propagating false narratives designed to tarnish the image of the Inspector-General of Police.

He emphasized that such misinformation erodes public trust and undermines the ongoing efforts of the current administration to reform the Nigerian Police Force by rooting out unprofessional and corrupt elements.