By Sunday Ehigiator
A police officer attached to the Quick Response Unit of the Delta State Police Command Asaba has been accused of orcefully collecting N120,000 from a woman suspected to have violated the COVID-19 lockdown order in the state.
THISDAY gathered that the officer allegedly extorted N120,000 from one Mrs. Nwabuabo Obiajulu on Friday, April 17 at about 12noon at Asagba Police Station near Ogwashi-Uku.
Narrating her ordeal to an online media platform, Obiajulu said she had sent her son, Utulu Chukwuweiki, with her ash colour Lexus EX300 with registration number ABJ306JY to buy petrol from a filling station to power their generating set.
Chukwuweiki was on his way to deliver the errand when a police patrol team, led by the Inspector in a blue Toyota Hilux and a Range Rover blocked him at NEPA junction.
Unsure of the identity of his assailants, whom she said were not on uniform, the young man manoeuvred his way out of the junction while the occupants of the Hilux and the Range Rover gave him a hot chase.
Mrs Obiajulu further narrated that while being pursued, her son speedily drove into safety at Ogwa Spot at Ikeleke Quarters in Ogwashi-Uku.
But the policemen, on sighting the vehicle in the compound, allegedly shot twice at the direction, dashed into the quarters in a rage and attempted to forcefully jack up and tow the vehicle away.
The woman said having ensured her son was safe, she approached the policemen and began to plead with them before she was arrested with the Lexus EX300 and driven to Asagba Police Station.
According to Mrs Obiajulu, the offence for which she was arrested and charged was that her son broke the lockdown order of the state government of which she was asked to pay N300,000 for bail.
She added that the police team, led by one inspector (names withheld), after much pleas, eventually collected N120,000 before she was let off the hook.
When asked the mode of payment, the victim said she made a transfer to another arrested boy’s bank account at the police station, who then used PoS to cash the money and gave it to Inspector Okosun.
Reacting to the allegation, Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command, Mr. Muhammed Inuwa, promised to investigate and flush out such bag eggs in his command.
