‘How Nigeria police officers stole over N43m from Abuja Airport worker’
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force said it has detained three officers identified as Inspectors Ekende Edwin, Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode for corrupt extortion of a total of ₦43,160,000 from a cargo worker, Andrew Ejah, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja last year.
ACP Olumuyiwa Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police said the officers who are all attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters were detained over the incident which occurred on August 2023,
While narrating how the extortion was carried out, the police spokesperson said the officers, led by Inspector Esther Okafor on the instruction of DSP Peter Ejike, arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was conveying ₦74,950,000 in cash on behalf of his clients.
He said the officers detained Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, and deliberately misrepresented the recovered amount as ₦31,790,000.
Adejobi added that after they were contacted by the alleged money owners, the police officers claimed the money they had recovered from the arrested suspect was N31,790,000.
They also demanded a percentage of the money to jeopardise the investigation and suppress the case.
However, the owners of the money petitioned Force Headquarters, Abuja and upon investigation by the IGP Monitoring Unit, the cash sum of N31,790,000 was recovered from the officers.
The Police officers reportedly told the investigators that the N31, 790,000 was the total money recovered from Andrew Ejah during his arrest.
The Police spokesperson added that after investigations and a series of trials, it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of monies at the point of arrest.
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But he said the police officers claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost, in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.
Adejobi however said forensic intelligence revealed that the officers conspired and stole part of the money, amounting to N43,160,000.
The Police spokesperson said the corrupt officers tasked one of them to move the cash out of the FCT for hiding pending when the heat blows over.
The police spokesperson also accused the officers of resorting to tricks and gimmicks in order to cover their tracks, one of which, according to him, was to spread of this false narrative and misinformation to several online blogs and newspaper platforms.
“The Nigeria Police Force has noted with concern the recent allegations circulating in the media, suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, is shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The NPF categorically refutes these claims, condemning them as baseless and orchestrated attempts to tarnish the IGP’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.
“The incident in question, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 26, 2023, has been thoroughly investigated. The officers involved – DSP Peter Ejike (a lawyer in charge of Zone 7 Legal Section), Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all attached to the Zone 7 Headquarters – were found culpable and sanctioned appropriately.
“These officers have been suspended, being found culpable of serious misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, illegal duty, and acts unbecoming of a police officer. The movement of such an amount of money by the alleged cargo company could have been investigated and handled professionally by the police, but the officers were carried away by greed and therefore acted criminally and unprofessionally.
“It is pertinent to note that the circulating false narrative is a sponsored misinformation cultivated by mischief makers who seek to divert attention from the criminal acts of the police officers by attempting to join issues with the Inspector-General of Police. The affected officers will be prosecuted upon conclusion of due legal and administrative procedures,” the statement added.
The NPF urged the public and the media to refrain from spreading this false narrative aimed at tainting the reputation of the Inspector-General of Police.
It said such misinformation undermines public trust and detracts from the ongoing efforts of the current administration to reform the Police Force by eradicating unprofessional elements.
