The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed five police inspectors attached to its Department of Operations over alleged involvement in armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy.
A statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday by the Command’s spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police Blessing Agabe, stated that the action followed internal disciplinary proceedings after a series of petitions and investigations.
According to the statement, the affected officers, identified as John Okoi, Eyibo Asuquo, Udo Ndipmong, Bright Nwachukwu and Anele Ikechukwu, were linked to criminal activities reportedly carried out between September 2025 and January 2026 across different parts of the state.
The police said the matter came to light after complaints were submitted by a human rights group, the Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation, which petitioned on behalf of multiple victims.
Investigations allegedly revealed that the dismissed officers operated, using minibuses and carried out illegal stop-and-search operations, during which they reportedly intercepted unsuspecting members of the public at gunpoint.
They were accused of forcing victims to disclose bank details and transfer funds from their accounts, in what authorities described as a “coordinated pattern of extortion.”
The statement further stated that the officers posed as operatives of the Zone 16 Headquarters in Yenagoa to intimidate victims and avoid suspicion while carrying out their operations.
One of the incidents under investigation involved the alleged abduction of a man along Aba Road, during which he was reportedly dispossessed of over N3.6 million and $4,000 from his cryptocurrency wallet.
Another victim was said to have lost more than N7.3 million in cash and valuables, while a third allegedly parted with N1.5 million after being intercepted along NTA Road.
Following their arrest, the officers underwent orderly room trial proceedings, where they were found culpable.
The disciplinary panel subsequently recommended their immediate dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force.
The Command said a prima facie case of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, official corruption and extortion had been established against them.
It added that the case file had been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further legal action, with formal charges expected to follow within 30 days.
