Police officers extort N150, 000 from UNIPORT students

Police officers from the notorious Eagle Crack squad have allegedly extorted the sum of N150 thousand from some students of the University of Port Harcourt in the Rumualogu area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

The students said the officers who accosted them when they went to buy food on Tuesday last week, accused them of being internet fraudsters and forced them to withdraw money from automated teller machines.

They also said that the officer collected another tranche of the money through bank transfers.

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The Rivers State police command had recently turned the former operational base of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, into the operational base of the E-Crack squad.

Police sources said operatives of the disbanded SARS were overnight, turned into operatives of the E-Crack squad.

The university students alleged that the officers threatened to use machetes on them if they failed to comply. The students said one of the officers left his phone in their car.

However, reacting to the development, Nnamdi Omoni, the public relations officer of the command, said the officers have been identified.

He added that they will be arrested and made to face the music.

Meanwhile, Rivers Civil Society Organizations have called the Rivers State Police Command to investigate alleged extortion by officers of the Eagle Crack Squad (The Commissioner Of Police tactical unit in Rivers State).

Com. Enefaa Georgewill, chairman of the group said in a statement that it received complaints from one Mr Victor that members of the E-Crack extorted the sum of a hundred and fifty thousand naira from him and his friend on Tuesday, breaking Wednesday,16th and 17th February, within the hours of 11 pm to 2 am.

“According to Victor, he gave #120,000 cash to the officers and transferred #30,000 to an FCMB account number provided by one of the Police officers.

“Victor said the Officers allowed him to go after they collected the money from him. Unfortunately for the Officers, one of them forgot his phone in Victor’s car. He said he checked the call log of the phone and saw names with Sergeant & Inspector to confirm the phone belong to the Officer.

“He switched off the phone and called his elder brother who advised him to contact the Rivers Civil Society Organisations.

“As a responsible organization, we advised Victor to gather all his evidence. Upon receipt of all the evidence like the Phone, bank statement and the account the money was transferred to, RIVCSO informed the press and joined Victor to make an official complaint at the Police headquarters.

“We met the PPRO of the command and Victor and his friend made an official written statement at the Police headquarters.

“For us as a CSO coalition in the State, it is our view that the facts speak for itself. We, therefore, call on the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command to match words with action. His maiden press briefing in the State where he declared he has zero tolerance for human right abuses is still fresh in our mind. The CP should match words with action. We are watching!,” the statement read.