Crime
Three Police Officers Suspended For Allegedly Stealing Over N43m From Cargo Worker In Abuja
During the process, the cash sum of N31,790,000 was recovered from the officers,
Abuja, Nigeria- The Nigerian Police Force has confirmed the suspension of three officers involved in a robbery that saw them allegedly steal N43,160,000 from a cargo worker at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in August 2023.
The officers—Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode—are said to have unlawfully detained Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting a cash sum of N74,950,000 on behalf of clients.
The crime, led by Inspector Okafor and allegedly orchestrated by DSP Peter Ejike, involved the officers taking a portion of the money while Ejah was arrested under false pretenses.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the Police force, ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi, said the officers acted without authorisation, detained Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, and deliberately misrepresented the recovered amount as N31,790,000.
Adejobi explained that upon being contacted by the alleged money owners, the officers claimed that the sum they had recovered from the arrested suspect was N31,790,000.
However, they requested a percentage of the money to jeopardise the investigation and suppress the case.
The statement read, “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.
Adejobi said after intense investigations and a series of trials, before duly constituted disciplinary panels, NPD said it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of monies at the point of arrest, however, claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost, in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.
“However, forensic intelligence showed that the 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.
“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.
“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.
It said, “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.
According to Adejobi, “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.
He noted that 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.
He urged members of the public and the media to refrain from spreading this false narrative aimed at tainting the reputation of the Inspector-General of Police.
“It said such misinformation undermines public trust and detracts from the ongoing efforts of the current administration to reform the Police Force by eradicating unprofessional elements,” Adejobi added.
