Investigation into claims that some members of the Command at the Onitsha Central Police Station were accused of extorting N600,500 has been ordered by police in Anambra State.
Tochukwu Ikenga, the command's spokesperson, reaffirmed that the command will not put up with any type of unprofessional behaviour by police officers in a statement announcing this on Saturday.
Harrison Gwamnishu, a human rights advocate and the coordinator of the Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation, described an episode of arrest and extortion involving command personnel in the region.
He claimed that on July 4, an individual going by the name of Chidiebere was detained after leaving a mall where he had gone in order to make purchases.
He claimed that several police officers saw the victim, including one Harrison Emerenini with an iPhone, who later extorted N600,500 from him after hauling him into the jail and removing his clothes.
He claims that the victim gave in to pressure after being threatened with being labelled as an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) member.
Gwamnishu, however, revealed that once his organisation intervened, the victim received payment of the extorted amount in full.
Echeng, however, vowed in the statement to find and punish the agents responsible for such a heinous conduct.
The statement reads: “The attention of Anambra State Police Command has been drawn to a trending report from social media on extorted but recovered money from a policeman in the Command.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of X-Squad to investigate and unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The CP who frowned at such act, reiterated that the command under his watch will not tolerate any forms of unprofessional conduct by police personnel.
“He also urged citizens to report any Police alterations/Conducts to X Squad and Public Complaints Bureau PCB of the Command.”