Delta CP redeploys, orders probe of DPO over alleged N2.5m extortion

By Ayorinde Oluokun

Delta Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola has ordered the redeployment of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jesse, CSP Chidi Nwabuzor over allegation that he, alongside two of his officers extorted N2.5 million from a woman.

The redeployment of the CSP Nwabuzor followed a viral video in which the woman alleged that one officer bright, officer Usman and the DPO Jesse extorted N2.5 million from her to release her brother who is in police custody, the spokesperson for Delta Police Command, Edafe Bright said in a statement on Friday.

Edafe, however, revealed that a careful examination of the video clip revealed that the woman’s younger brother was among suspect arrested and brought to the Jesse Police Division by the the youth leader of Jesse community.

He said the woman’s younger brother identified as Israel Onojeruo was arrested based on the confession of another suspect, Okoro Desmond, that he sold a gun to him.

The Delta police spokesperson added that the suspects were later transferred to the State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU) for further investigation.

But he said CP Aina had decided to probe the extortion allegation against the DPO and two other officers of Jesse division by the suspect’s sister in the viral video.

According to him, CP Adesola has ordered the AC X-Squad to investigate the allegation leveled against the officers.

“The constable identified as Bright in the video has been detained at the command headquarters, and the DPO has been removed and deployed to the command headquarters pending the outcome of the investigation,” the police spokesperson said.

He further revealed that the removal of DPO was in response to a series of complaints of extortion and unprofessionalism levelled against him from different quarters.

“The CP assures members of the public that if, after investigation, the officers are found to have acted in an unprofessional manner, they will be decisively dealt with in accordance with the extant laws as stipulated in the Police Act and regulations to serve as a deterrent to others.

“The CP wishes to emphasise that the command under his leadership will not tolerate any form of extortion, intimidation, incivility to members of the public and unprofessionalism from officers in the command. He therefore urged that members of the public to reach the command complaint response unit numbers in cases of complaint against police action by calling the following Phone numbers 09011112311, 09155570008, 09064308018 and 09066575187.”