Juliana Francis
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, has ordered the immediate removal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Meiran Police Station, following his alleged extortion of N200,000 from two suspects.
According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, Owhunwa ordered the removal of the DPO over “leadership dereliction and supervisory ineptitude.”
The PUNCH had reported that an engineer, Ibrahim Saliua, had accused the DPO and his policemen of extorting him N200,000.
He alleged that the Police had detained him and his brother over failure to provide identity cards and receipts for iPhones found in the possession of his brother.
According to Saliu, the DPO refused to believe that he sells phones, refused to allow his men to follow him to his shop for verification that he truly sells phones and could provide some of the receipts for the iPhones found in the possession of his brother.
Saliu told the PUNCH: “The DPO took the iPhones, removed the warranty stickers on them, and declared that my brother and I are thieves and armed robbers.”
The DPO would later ask the suspect and his brother to cough up N500,000 for bail, but after negotiations, he reluctantly accepted N200,000, which he said should be given to him in cash.
Hundeyin, who took to his X handle to announce the removal of the DPO, added: “Meanwhile, all the officers involved have been identified and are currently at the Command headquarters where their orderly room trial has commenced.”
