Four Nigerian police officers have been apprehended following accusations that they established an unauthorized roadblock in Abuja to extort money from motorists. The incident gained significant attention because one of their alleged targets was Musa Aliyu, who directs the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, a major anti-corruption body in the country.
According to Aliyu’s account, officers stopped him on a busy road on Saturday and demanded he exit his vehicle. After requesting his driver’s license, one officer allegedly threatened to take him to court for traffic violations and suggested a fine of 52,000 naira would be levied. When Aliyu asked for a bank account number to transfer funds, the officer reportedly refused and instead directed him to withdraw cash from an automated teller machine. Aliyu subsequently withdrew 53,000 naira, equivalent to approximately £28 or $38.
Police Commissioner Ahmed Sanusi characterized the officers’ conduct as abandoning their official duties to establish the illegal checkpoint. Following Aliyu’s report to authorities, an intelligence-led operation resulted in the arrest of the suspected ringleader and three additional suspects. The commissioner emphasized that such behavior would not be tolerated, stating that officers cannot simultaneously fulfill legitimate police duties and engage in criminal conduct.
The four men now face an internal police disciplinary process that could lead to their dismissal from the force. Police disciplinary procedures of this nature rarely advance to court proceedings. Sanusi issued a stark warning to personnel, suggesting that those unwilling to choose between serving as legitimate law enforcement or acting as criminals would be judged by their actions.