Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, has ordered the immediate arrest and orderly room trial of four police officers accused of abandoning their lawful duty posts, mounting an illegal checkpoint, and extorting money from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN). The incident, which occurred on July 11, 2026, has sparked widespread condemnation and renewed scrutiny over police misconduct in the nation's capital.
The officers facing disciplinary action have been identified as ASP Clement Ehigala, ASP Sunday Okpe, Inspector Samuel Onoja, and Sergeant Yakubu Emmanuel. According to a statement issued by the FCT Police Command's Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the incident took place at approximately 3:34 p.m. on July 11, 2026, when the four officers allegedly abandoned their statutory duty posts and proceeded to the Banex Plaza Junction in Wuse II, where they conducted an unauthorised traffic enforcement operation.
During the course of this illegal traffic duty, the officers stopped a motorist on the allegation of violating traffic regulations and extorted the sum of ₦52,000 from him. The victim, who calmly cooperated with the officers, was later identified as the Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu. According to CP Sanusi, the policemen forced Aliyu to arrange for money to be sent to them and took him to a Point of Sale (POS) operator, where N53,000, including transaction charges, was withdrawn and shared among themselves.
The ICPC chairman later reported the incident, prompting an intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of the gang leader and the other members of the group. "We declared them wanted, arrested their leader, and during interrogation he confessed and identified the others. We tracked down and arrested the remaining members of the gang," Sanusi said. The police commissioner disclosed that the officers had formed an extortion syndicate, operating outside their assigned duty posts to prey on unsuspecting road users.
Addressing journalists while parading the suspects at the FCT Police Command headquarters, CP Sanusi did not mince words in condemning the officers' actions. "You have to choose to be one: either a policeman or a thief. You cannot be both at the same time. If you fail to choose, your actions will determine where you belong," he declared. The CP described the officers as "thieves" who had no business wearing the police uniform, adding that they had abandoned their designated duty posts and extorted the anti-graft agency chairman without knowing his identity.
The FCT Police Command has confirmed that disciplinary proceedings have commenced against the officers in line with established police regulations, reaffirming its commitment to professionalism, accountability, and zero tolerance for misconduct by its personnel. Sanusi assured residents that any officer found culpable would face severe disciplinary action, including dismissal where necessary. "We are going to make sure that they are severely punished, while those to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed. This I can assure you," he said.
The police commissioner also used the opportunity to remind officers of the Inspector-General of Police's directive banning the indiscriminate search of citizens' mobile phones. He stated that no police officer has the right to stop people on the road and demand access to their phones over suspicions of cybercrime or internet fraud. "A phone can only be searched as part of lawful investigation after a suspect has been arrested for a specific offence and brought to the police station. No officer should search phones on the road," he said. Sanusi urged residents to reject illegal demands from police officers and report such incidents immediately through the command's emergency lines.
This incident has drawn significant attention given the profile of the victim—the head of Nigeria's premier anti-corruption agency. The irony of officers of the law extorting the chairman of the very commission established to fight corruption has not been lost on observers, with many viewing it as a stark illustration of the rot within the police force. The case has also reignited calls for comprehensive police reform and more robust accountability mechanisms.
Beyond the extortion case, CP Sanusi also provided updates on other security operations carried out by the command. He disclosed that operatives foiled a kidnap attempt in Gawuraka along the Niger-FCT border and rescued a female kidnap victim who had been abducted in Karshi. A pistol, dagger, military camouflage, and assorted charms were recovered during the operation. Sanusi also announced the arrest of Umaru Danda, described as a major supplier of logistics to kidnappers operating around Mpape, who supplied hard drugs and other items to criminal gangs. His arrest led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, large quantities of tramadol, suspected cocaine, cannabis, cash, ATM cards, and other exhibits from three hideouts in Niger State.
The command also arrested four suspects accused of hijacking Bolt and Uber vehicles after posing as passengers. The suspects were arrested with two stolen vehicles, a Toyota RAV4 and a Honda Civic. The FCT Police Command has assured residents that it will continue to identify, investigate, and punish officers involved in extortion, illegal checkpoints, and other forms of misconduct, insisting that corrupt personnel would not be tolerated within the force.
As the orderly room trial proceeds, the case serves as a critical test of the police command's commitment to internal discipline and accountability. For the four officers now facing trial, the consequences could be severe, with possible dismissal and criminal prosecution on the horizon. For the public, it is a reminder that no one, not even the head of the anti-corruption agency, is immune from the pervasive culture of extortion that has long plagued Nigeria's policing system—and that meaningful change will require sustained vigilance and decisive action from the top.
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