FROM MATTHIAS OGBAGAH, WARRI
Delta Police squad, Anti-Crime Patrol attached to Agbarho Police Division have been caught on camera extorting money from innocent Nigerian citizens especially tricycle riders at a checkpoint sorting out change to balance victims.
The police personnel who had their pickup truck parked by the road with ‘The Nigeria Police Force, Anti-Crime Patrol, Agbarho Division HQS; written on it.
The squad who were caught on videos on Sunday, 21 July 2024 that went viral shows a policeman sorting out change from his pocket to balance a tricycle rider after collecting money from him.
The personnel openly search phones and demand bribes along the road.
An eyewitness, who shared the videos with our correspondent alleged that the policemen gave drivers and tricycle riders who paid them numbers so that when next they passed the road, they would call out the number given to them so that they would not make another payment.
According to the source, worse still, one of the operatives attempted to plant drugs inside the pocket of a young man, and he raised the alarm about the alleged move to frame him up, forcing passersby to intervene.
“The police at Agbarho are currently going through the phones of young guys and extorting Keke Napep (tricycle) riders at Agbarho.
“After collecting N100 from riders, they give them number so when they drive through again, they just call the number given and they are allowed to pass. Without the number, you won’t pass and they would make another.
“Similarly, one policeman among the team attempted to plant drugs inside the pocket of a young man and he raise alarm of frame up. It took the intervention of passerby and area boys for him to be freed.”
Our correspondent reliably gathered that while the police from Agbarho Division are busy extorting drivers and passages along East-West road, terrorist were raiding one of the communities within their jurisdiction.
Efforts to speak with the Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, were unsuccessful as he did not answer his calls.
Meanwhile, a special team of police from the Delta State Commissioner of Police led by ASP Julius Robinson on July 18, 2024 at about 0930hrs in a covert intelligence led operation invaded three different syndicates of cultists/suspected armed robbers at various location in Oghara Town, Ethiope East LGA of Delta State and effected the arrest of five suspects namely Ochuko Joel Ofoye “m” 35yrs of Jeddo Community in Okpe LGA Delta State, a member of Juris Confraternity and Michael Anwul “m” aged 29yrs of Alisimie Community Agbor, in Ika South LGA Delta State of Juris confraternity and custodian of arms in whose possession two(2) AK 47 Magazines and Twenty-Nine (29) rounds of live ammunition were recovered.
Others are; Great Ojareri ‘m’ 35 yrs of Oghareki Community in Ethiope West LGA Oghara Delta State, a member of Eiye Confraternity also a custodian of arms and Innocent Esefeta “m” aged 31 years of Afisere community in Ughelli north LGA Delta State investigation revealed that he is the owner of the recovered Beretta pistol and lastly Ogaga Ebuke “m” 27yrs of Okpe Community in Orerokpe LGA Delta State a member of Juris Confraternity.
