Police detain officers caught extorting commuters

The police officers caught by the speaker of the Osun state House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, for extorting members of the public have been identified, arrested, and detained.

Though the spokesperson of the state Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, did not disclose the number and identity of the suspected officers in the statement made available to journalists Friday, she said the suspects were arrested for unprofessional conduct.

A viral video on social media showed the speaker, Egbedun, mandating the officers to return the money collected from the commuters.

Egbedun was said to be returning to Osogbo from the Ayedire area when he saw the policemen allegedly extorting the commuters and stopped to intervene in the matter.

The commuters alleged that the officers forced three among them to make a transfer of N25, 000 each, which the suspected police officers confessed to and pleaded with the speaker to be merciful with them.

The statement issued by the police read, “This is to inform the general public that the Osun state Police Command is aware of the viral video trending on social media showing some policemen extorting commuters along Ile-Ogbo/Iwo axis.

“The police officers involved in this unprofessional and unethical behavior have been identified, arrested, and detained.

“The Commissioner of Police wishes to apprise the general public, most especially the good people of Osun state, that he will never condone any act of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct exhibited by any member of the Nigeria Police under his watch.”