Ogun State Police Command has dismissed three of its officers attached to Ijebu Ife in Ijebu East local government, for extorting Three Hundred and Twelve Thousand Naira from a student of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Kashimao Emmanuel.
The trio of Cpl Idowu Sunday, Inspectors Taiwo Kolawole and John Ogbe, were dismissed, according to the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, after ordeal room trial.
According to the police boss, Kashimao was driving in his brown coloured Toyota Venza car, with Reg No. LSD 813 EX, when he was flagged down, about three weeks ago, by four armed men one of whom was wearing police camouflage with others in mufti.
The police boss revealed that the officers demanded for Kashimao’s phone, the request which was said to have been declined calmly, leading to one of them firing a shot in the air.
Kashimao, Alamutu said, complied after the shot was fired into the air, and the officers entered hi vehicle and took him away to Sagamu Expressway.
But on getting to Ososa, the officers directed him to return to Ijebu Ode, before they forcefully transferred the money from his account to an Opay account number 9097829766.
“They demanded for his phone, which he calmly declined. In the process, one of them fired a shot into the air and that was when he complied.They entered into his car and took him away towards Sagamu expressway, on getting to Ososa, they made a u-turn to Ijebu-ode, where a sum of three hundred and twelve thousand naira was forcefully transferred from his account to an Opay account no. 9097729766. Alamutu explained further that upon receipt of the complaint from the victim, a call was made to a PoS operator who uses the number, instructing him not to pay the money to anyone until he comes.
The operator was also instructed to use delay tactics, in case anyone comes for the money, until the police arrive at the scene.
“Upon the receipt of the report, the DPO quickly made a call to the Opay account number where it was discovered that the Opay account number belongs to a POS operator in Ijebu-ode.
“The DPO then gave instruction that on no account should the POS operator give out the money transferred to him to anyone who comes for it. More so, the operator should tactically delay anyone who comes for the money pending his arrival. “On getting to the POS shop at Ibadan garage, one Force No 513707 Cpl Idowu Sunday attached to Ijebu-Ife was met waiting to cash the money and was promptly arrested. While taking him to the station, he sighted his accomplices. namely AP/No 341113 Inspector Taiwo Kolawole, AP/No 309292 Inspector John Ogbe both were attached Ijebu-Ife division, and one civilian, Adesiyan Mathew who happened to be the driver was also arrested.”
According to the Alamutu, two other complainants who were victims at various times, during the investigation, came forward and identified them to have earlier robbed them of their belongings in the same manner.
He said the three dismissed officers will be charged to court soonest.