Four policemen attached to Area K, command, Morogbo, Badagry
are currently being detained at the X-Squad unit, Lagos command for allegedly
collecting the sum of N140,000 as bribe from a suspect...
The four policemen had followed one Apagbo John, to an ATM
in Agbara, where they allegedly withdrew the said sum from the suspect account.
It was gathered that the said sum which they forcefully
collected at gunpoint from the suspect was meant to facilitate his release from
the police custody.
The policemen were arrested at the instance of the Area
Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Okafor.
It was gathered that the policemen had allegedly arrested
the victim, Apagbo John, while he was driving along the Mile 2-Badagary
expressway and took him to Area K, under the allegation that he was an armed
robber.
A police source alleged that the four policemen had
threatened to parade the victim like a criminal if he refused to part with
something and for fear that he might be killed, the victim begged the policemen
to spare his life but that they should take all his valuable.
The policemen, who were of collecting money before they
would free the victim, dragged him to their command where he was detained.
The victim had allegedly negotiated his bail with the sum of
N140,000 which he claimed was in his bank account.
The source said that the policemen allegedly followed the
victim to one of the banks in Agbara where he withdrew the said amount.
“After handing over the money to the policemen they still
took him back to Area K where they promised to perfect his bail” the source
revealed.
However luck ran against the policemen when the father of
the victim who happens to be the owner of the account from where the money was
withdrawn received an alert from his bank.
Trouble started for the policemen when on arrival the
victim’s parents discovered what had happened to their son and promptly
informed the Area Commander.
The Area Commander informed the authority at the command who
promptly deployed detectives from X-Squad to Area K.
Another police source at the command told Daily Trust that
the policemen are still being detained at X-Squad and that they may be tried
after the Sallah holiday.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Olarinde Famous
Cole, could not be reached for comment.
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