Nigerian Police Officers Arrested After Allegedly Extorting Nigeria's Anti-Corruption Chief

• Four Nigerian police officers allegedly set up an illegal checkpoint in Abuja and stopped a vehicle on Saturday
• The driver they targeted turned out to be Musa Aliyu, head of Nigeria's Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
• Police Commissioner Ahmed Sanusi confirmed the officers face disciplinary proceedings that could end in their dismissal

Four Nigerian police officers are facing disciplinary action after allegedly extorting money from the chairman of one of Nigeria's foremost anti-corruption agencies at an unauthorised roadblock in Abuja.

Musa Aliyu, who leads the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleged that he was stopped while driving in the capital on Saturday and coerced into withdrawing 53,000 naira (approximately £45, or $38) from a cash machine.

Speaking to BBC Hausa, Aliyu described how one of the officers approached his vehicle and instructed him to open his car. After boarding, the officer requested his driver's licence and then threatened to take him to court over alleged traffic violations.

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"He said he would take me to court for violating traffic rules. I told him: 'Let's go to court,'" Aliyu recounted.

The officer then shifted tactics, telling Aliyu: "You are a big man; you wouldn't want your time to be wasted, but even if we go to court, you will be fined 52,000 naira."

Aliyu said he initially offered to make a bank transfer when asked for money, but the officer declined. He was subsequently taken to a cash machine, where he withdrew the sum demanded.

Aliyu's formal report to the police triggered what Commissioner Ahmed Sanusi described as an "intelligence-driven operation." The alleged ringleader was arrested first, which led investigators to the remaining three suspects.

Sanusi confirmed that the officers had abandoned their authorised posts to operate the unsanctioned roadblock.

All four now face internal disciplinary procedures that could result in dismissal from the force. Formal prosecution in such cases remains uncommon in Nigeria.

The commissioner issued a pointed warning to officers tempted to abuse their authority.

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"You have to choose: either a policeman or a thief," Sanusi said. "You cannot be both. If you fail to choose, your actions will determine where you belong."

Source: YEN.com.gh