Police Suspend DPO Over Alleged N500,000 Extortion

The Rivers State Police Command has suspended a divisional police officer (DPO) over alleged extortion and misconduct.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),Agabe said the action followed reports on social media that the officer collected N500,000 from a suspect to secure his release from detention.

According to the reports, a payment receipt indicated that the money was transferred to an Opay account bearing a name alleged to belong to the DPO.

The reports also alleged that the officer arrested a mother of two and charged her in court after she reported that her husband had assaulted and injured her.

Agabe said the commissioner of police in Rivers, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, had ordered a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.

She stated that the officer was immediately relieved of his duties pending the outcome of the investigation.

“In response to the allegations and in line with the command’s commitment to transparency, accountability and professionalism, the officer has been removed from office pending a thorough and impartial investigation,” she said.

The police spokesperson said that the commissioner had expressed concern over the allegations and reaffirmed the command’s zero-tolerance stance on misconduct.