The Abia State Police Command has dismissed three officers over allegations of conspiracy, abduction, and extortion. The state’s Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, took the decision after an investigation confirmed their involvement in the criminal activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, made this known in a statement on Friday. She identified the dismissed officers as Sergeant Jonas Nnamdi, Corporal James Daniel, and Corporal Ifeanyi Emeka.
Chinaka noted that Nnamdi was attached to the Police Area Command in Aba, while Daniel was serving in the Department of Operations in Umuahia. Emeka, on the other hand, was stationed at the Eziama Divisional Police Headquarters.
The three officers were arrested on January 29 after they were caught carrying weapons, including an electric baton, an assault rifle, and a Beretta pistol. They were apprehended alongside two civilians by a divisional police officer in the Abayi area of Abia State.
“The officers allegedly conspired and hired a minibus, abducted some civilians along Port Harcourt Expressway, threatened and extorted them and thereafter demanded extra money from their families for their release,” Chinaka said.
Following their arrest, an orderly room trial was conducted by the state police command. The investigation confirmed their involvement in what the command described as “unprofessional conduct” that went against police discipline and ethics.
As a result, all three officers were dismissed from the force, and their police gear was retrieved by the command’s Provost. They have also been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further legal action.
