How Corrupt Police Officers Stole Over ₦43 Million from Cargo Worker in Abuja – NPF

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has revealed how a group of corrupt officers unlawfully seized ₦43,160,000 from a cargo worker at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last year.

According to a statement from the NPF Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Ogunjobi, the incident occurred in August 2023. The officers involved, including Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, were all stationed at the Zone 7 Headquarters.

The officers, led by Inspector Okafor and acting on orders from DSP Peter Ejike, wrongfully arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting ₦74,950,000 for clients. The officers acted without legal authority, holding Ejah at the Zone 7 Headquarters and falsely reporting that only ₦31,790,000 had been recovered. They demanded a cut of the money in exchange for suppressing the case.

When contacted by the owners of the money, the officers insisted that they had seized ₦31,790,000 and requested a percentage to halt the investigation. Outraged by the corruption, the money’s owners filed a complaint with the Force Headquarters in Abuja, leading to an investigation by the IGP Monitoring Unit.

During the investigation, the ₦31,790,000 was retrieved from the officers, who claimed it was the full amount seized from Ejah. However, further scrutiny revealed that the officers had taken photos of Ejah and the bags of money at the time of his arrest but later claimed their phone had been damaged and the photos lost in an attempt to hide their misconduct.

Forensic evidence later confirmed that the officers had conspired to steal part of the money, totaling ₦43,160,000. One officer was tasked with removing the stolen funds from Abuja, intending to conceal them until the situation calmed down.

To cover their tracks, the officers spread false information to various online blogs and news outlets. The NPF has since issued a firm statement denying any links to the alleged smuggling of new banknotes, which some media reports falsely connected to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun. The NPF condemned these allegations as baseless and aimed at tarnishing the IGP’s reputation and the integrity of the Force.

The incident, which took place on August 26, 2023, has been fully investigated. The officers – including DSP Ejike (who oversees the legal section of Zone 7), Inspectors Edwin and Okafor, and Sergeant Kayode – were found guilty of serious misconduct, including tampering with evidence, abuse of power, corruption, and dereliction of duty. These officers have been suspended and are set to face legal and administrative penalties.

The NPF emphasized that the transportation of such a large sum of money could have been handled professionally, but the officers allowed their greed to drive them to criminal acts. It further criticized the circulation of false narratives as attempts by troublemakers to distract from the criminal behavior of the officers and to discredit the Inspector-General of Police.

The NPF urged the public and media to avoid spreading these misleading stories, as they undermine public trust and detract from ongoing efforts to reform the Police Force by rooting out unprofessional officers. The corrupt officers will be prosecuted once the legal and administrative processes are concluded.