Imo Police, Army To Investigate ₦500,000 Alleged Extortion Of Student By JTF

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso has ordered an investigation into the claims of a student, Stephen Nnaemeka Cookey that operatives of the Joint Task Force operating in the State, extorted ₦515,000 from him on Sunday while travelling to Aba. 

This is even as the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, and spokesperson for the 34 Artillery Brigade Owerri, Major Hashimu Abdullahi said they will investigate the allegation.

Abdullahi said, ” “It will be investigated,” in response to the development.

The Imo State Police Command made the disclosure via it’s verified X handle, saying the state Police Commissioner, Audu Bosso had directed the X-Squad and Complaint Response Unit (CRU) to investigate the complaints against the Joint Task Force (JTF), comprising all security agencies.

The police had said, “The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Audu Garba Bosso, psc(+), mnips, has directed the Command’s X-Squad and Complaint Response Unit (CRU) to investigate complaints against the Joint Task Force (JTF), comprising all security agencies. Members of the public with.”

In a trending X (formerly twitter) post, Stephen had accused the JTF team stationed just after the Owerri airport junction of extortion on Sunday, July 26th, 2026 while travelling in a commercial bus heading to Aba.

Stephen said he was heading back to Aba, after writing the mandatory Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) of the Imo State University Owerri last weekend.

According to him, while on the road, the JTF team on the Aba road, ordered Stephen and some other young men out of the commercial bus heading to Aba from Owerri.

He said, “I want the Inspector General of Police to help me retrieve my money, I was extorted by the security people after the Owerri airport junction heading to Aba. They were many, about 10 or more. They were wearing different uniforms, Police, Navy, some wore black.

“They stopped the bus and told me to come down and two other boys. One of them searched my bag and didn’t see anything incriminating. But he told me to wait. They told the other two boys to go back to the bus. Then another one came and searched me again. I told him his colleague had searched me and didn’t find anything incriminating.

“He ordered me to open my phone, my apps, and my bank apps. When I tried to resist, he threatened they will deal with me so I had open it. He searched and saw ₦1.8million in one of my accounts. But I told him it’s for my school expenses.

“They told the bus driver to go and then forced me into their hilux parked a little into the bush. They threatened me that they will accuse me of crime and put me in trouble so I had to obey. They handcuffed me and told me to enter their vehicle and they drove me to one bush where we negotiated how much I will give them.

“Due to the threats, I offered ₦100,000 but they demanded we split the ₦1.8million. I even offered ₦400,000 but they refused. But at the end, they took me to one PoS operator in the bush where I transferred ₦515,000. They forced me to add ₦15,000 for PoS charge for the woman. I don’t know if they are working together.

“I want the Police to help me retrieve my money because it’s not my own. It’s for school payments at IMSU where I will soon become a student. That money is important and I want it back, please help me,” Stephen said in his pained voice.