Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Zone 7, Abuja, have been accused of extorting more than ₦8.6 million from a group of university students after allegedly branding them internet fraudsters and threatening them with harm if they spoke out.
The incident reportedly happened in Gwarinpa, Abuja, where the students—said to be from Kogi State—were lodged in a hotel ahead of their activities.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that about six armed officers stormed the hotel, forced their way into the students’ rooms, and accused them of involvement in “Yahoo Yahoo”, a term commonly used to describe internet fraud.
The students were reportedly arrested and taken to the Zone 7 Police Command in Wuse Zone 3, where they were detained and allegedly intimidated.
According to one source, the officers allegedly threatened the students, warning that their situation would worsen if they refused to cooperate.
While in custody, the students were reportedly compelled to transfer a total sum of ₦8,620,000 into a Point of Sale (POS) account allegedly provided by the officers.
Further raising suspicion, sources claimed the POS operator used for the transactions is located directly in front of the police facility, suggesting possible collaboration.
“The money was sent to a POS account right in front of their office, and the officers directed them on where to transfer it,” a source stated.
The students were reportedly released only after making the payments and were allegedly warned not to report the incident, with threats of serious consequences if they did.
The matter was later escalated to the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by concerned individuals, including a student union leader from the victims’ institution.
However, sources alleged that the officers involved have expressed confidence that nothing would happen to them, claiming they have strong connections within the police system—an assertion that has reportedly heightened the students’ fear of seeking justice.
One officer, identified only as “Bassey,” was also mentioned as a prominent figure in the unit and allegedly linked to similar misconduct.
SaharaReporters gathered that evidence including transaction receipts and phone numbers connected to the alleged officers has been obtained and submitted as part of the complaint.
When contacted on Tuesday, the Investigating Police Officer handling the case reportedly declined to comment.
Credit: SaharaReporters
No comments: