The Delta State Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade A.P. Edariese, made the call at a press conference held in Udu Local Government Area on Monday.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has been urged to intervene in a case of alleged extortion and oppression by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of “B” Division in Warri, Delta State.
The Delta State Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade A.P. Edariese, made the call at a press conference held in Udu Local Government Area on Monday.
The CDHR accused the DPO of extorting N240,000 from one Godstime Edesiri, a resident of Oginibo Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State over undisclosed crime.
Edesiri, according to Comrade Edariese was arrested on December 3, 2024, for an unknown offence and was forced to pay the N240,000 as bail money.
The DPO claimed that N200,000 of the amount was for an alleged complainant who reported that her phone was stolen.
Decrying the level of criminality among the Nigerian policemen, the rights activist revealed that in a further attempt to extort another N100,000 from the victim for coming to Oginibo for his arrest, they seized his Redmi AX3 mobile phone.
The seized phone is now a bet to collect the N100,000 before the phone could be released.
Comrade Edariese, however, demanded that the DPO return the extorted money with the seized mobile phone, wondering what was the difference between the rogue police officer and the criminals.
While calling on the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, to take immediate action against the DPO and prevent him from charging the victim to court, the CDHR warned that should the IGP fail to act, Comrade Edariese said he would be forced petition the Police Service Commission (PSC) to sack the DPO and anyone involved in the alleged extortion.
He said, “I am also calling on the CP Delta State to take steps to call the DPO to order because he is making plans to charge this boy to court on Monday, January 13, which the CDHR will resist.
“If my call is not heeded, I will write to the Police Service Commission, PSC to sack the DPO and whosoever is involved in “B” Division Warri,” he warned.
Giving the details, he said: “On December 3, 2024, the young man in his village had encounter with the police and he was arrested for an offence he didn’t know anything about.
“They took him to their division and forced him to pay N240,000 as bail money. They said out of the N240,000, N200,000 is for an alleged complainant to them.
“That the complainant reported a case of her phone being stolen and the thieves used the phone to withdraw N200,000 from her account.
“The N200,000 withdrawn from his account they traced it to the young man’s account in far away Oginibo village without investigating this matter. They went further to collect N40,000 before they released him on bail and seized the phone with which the boy is doing his POS business and the phone is with the DPO and the officer as I am speaking.
“They now said the supposed complainant mobilised them with N150,000 that this young man should pay the money. That they also want to return it to the woman.
“The young man pleaded that he didn’t have money that he wasn’t involved in the offence. Based on that one, they seized his Redmi AX3 phone and they said until he bring N100,000 they will not release the phone to him.
“So, from 3rd of December, 2024 till today which is more than a month, the DPO and his officers are holding the phone of this young man, holding his N200,000, holding his N40,000. Now, they’re threatening to charge him to court for no offence.
“This report was brought to me as Delta State CDHR Chairman since 2nd of January and I stepped into it. I sent my officers to the division to appeal to them to resolve the matter and let this young man have his money and phone. The DPO blocked every effort.for us to get solution for the young man.
“On Monday January 6, I personally led a team of leaders of CDHR to meet the DPO to prevail on him to release this boy’s phone and stop further threat to arrest. The DPO bluffed me. The DPO looked at me as a worthless idiot and kept him in the station waiting for the whole day. Towards 5pm he came and threatened to charge the victim of his extortion to court.
“This is a case of abuse of office by the DPO, extortion in the highest order, stealing by trick because if the boy cannot pay that N100,000 his phone has become the police phone.”
Comrade Edariese said the Police did not have any statement from the alleged complainant neither did they have any bank statement showing proof that the said sum of stolen money they claimed, was credited into Godstime Edesiri’s account.
He vowed that Edesiri would not honour the invitation of the police schedule for Monday as he appealed for protection for the young man.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old boy has denied committing any offence that warranted him being arrested by the police.
“I didn’t commit any offence that made the police come for me,” he was quoted to have said during the press conference.
Bellnews’ efforts to speak with the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, were unsuccessful as he didn’t take his calls nor respond to a text message sent to him seeking his comment.