The police command in Imo State has nabbed three officers from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and two officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on allegations of harassing and extorting civilians.
A 37-year-old police inspector was also arrested for the same offense on Tuesday.
The spokesperson of the command, ASP Henry Okoye, disclosed the information to journalists in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
According to Okoye, the suspects have been notorious for extorting unsuspecting civilians, particularly the youth in Owerri, through the use of Point-of-Sale (PoS) machines.
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He explained the suspects seized and examined the phones of their victims, causing gross hardship.
The ASP said:
“These are security operatives hiding under the umbrella of Operation Search and Flush in Imo, harassing and extorting unsuspecting members of the public, in particular the youths, to the tune of thousands of naira.
“They use POS, seize and check the phones of their victims, thereby bringing untold hardship to them.”
Okoye assured the public that the investigation will be swiftly concluded and the suspects brought to justice.
