IMO POLICE ARREST JOINT SECURITY OPERATIVES OVER ALLEGED EXTORTION OF MOTORISTS IN OBOWO
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Imo State Police Command has arrested security operatives attached to a joint patrol team at Seven and Half Junction in Obowo Local Government Area over allegations of extorting motorists and travellers.
The arrest followed the circulation of a viral video on social media showing security personnel allegedly harassing road users and demanding money. Confirming the development on Saturday, the Command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said all the operatives captured in the footage have been taken into custody.
According to Okoye, the affected personnel, who were part of a Joint Task Force patrol in Obowo, are currently being detained while investigations are ongoing. He added that upon the conclusion of the investigation, the operatives would be released to their respective security agencies for appropriate disciplinary measures.
The viral video shows operatives drawn from the Army, Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps allegedly stopping travellers at Seven and Half Junction and Amanze Junction in Obowo LGA. In the footage, motorists and passengers were seen standing helplessly as their mobile phones and banking applications were searched.
In one clip, a police operative inside a patrol van was seen checking the phones of several young men and opening their banking apps—an action previously described as illegal and criminal by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. Another segment of the video showed an operative inside a Hilux patrol vehicle confiscating a traveller’s laptop during a document check, while a separate scene captured an operative instructing a colleague to confirm money allegedly extorted from a road user.
The footage has generated widespread public outrage and renewed concerns over misconduct by security personnel during road patrols.
The Imo State Police Command assured members of the public that the matter is being thoroughly investigated and reiterated its commitment to professionalism, accountability, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
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