Rivers: Police arrest officers for abduction and extortion of resident

The Rivers State police have taken into custody several officers accused of abducting and extorting a resident in Port Harcourt. The incident came to light when a social media user, Uche Okoye, posted a video on September 8th, in which a young man known as ‘Kay Persona’ recounted his ordeal.

According to ‘Kay Persona,’ he was stopped by approximately 10 armed officers in ash and blue police camouflage near Rumuokwuta in Port Harcourt while riding in a bolt vehicle on a Saturday in September. This happened shortly after passing a police checkpoint without being halted.

The officers reportedly pulled him out of the vehicle, detained him, and refused to explain the reason for his detention or respond to his inquiries. They claimed they had been tracking the vehicle.

At the Police Intelligence and Surveillance Unit in Ogbunabali, they initially demanded he pay the bolt driver to secure his release, even though they asserted they were monitoring the vehicle. When ‘Kay Persona’ declined, they confined him to their facility.

Despite examining his social media profiles, emails, and phones and discovering nothing incriminating, they held him in a cell for almost five hours.

Ultimately, he was released around midnight on the following Sunday after spending the night in custody.

However, the following morning, the officers allegedly demanded a payment of N150,000 from him. Feeling helpless and with nobody aware of his detention, ‘Kay Persona’ claimed he negotiated with the officers, eventually withdrawing N50,000 in cash to settle the matter, as they refused a bank transfer to avoid leaving a trace.

Arrest of the Officers

In a statement posted on their verified social media account, the Rivers State police announced the identification and arrest of the officers involved in the alleged kidnapping and extortion case. They urged the public to collaborate with law enforcement in the fight against crime.

The statement did not specify the number of officers arrested but included a photo indicating that five officers were involved.

Not the First Incident

This incident follows less than three weeks after the police arrested four officers for assaulting a traveler in the state. It is part of a series of incidents involving police misconduct in the region, including an officer being demoted for assaulting a motorist and another officer being dismissed and charged for allegedly shooting a young man in a neighboring state over a N100 bribe.