Sunday, December 14, 2025 - Security authorities have arrested all Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel captured in a viral video linked to alleged extortion and misconduct along the Obowo axis of Imo State.
The officers, who were part of a joint security patrol
in the area, are currently in detention while investigations continue.
According to an official update from Imo police
spokesperson, Henry Okoye, once the investigation is concluded, the affected
personnel will be handed over to their respective security agencies for
appropriate disciplinary action in line with established procedures.
The arrests followed widespread public outrage after a video
surfaced online showing what appeared to be uniformed officers harassing and
extorting civilians at 7 and a Half Amanze Junction, Obowo. The footage was
shared by a man who accused the operatives of operating like criminals while
disguised as law enforcement officers.
In his account, the whistleblower detailed multiple
incidents allegedly captured in the videos. He claimed that officers were seen
stopping young men, forcing them to hand over their phones and checking private
content, including banking applications. In another clip, an officer was
allegedly filmed inside a Hilux vehicle while confiscating a traveller’s laptop
during a roadside check. A separate recording reportedly captured an officer
asking a colleague to confirm money allegedly extorted from a victim.
Describing the situation, the whistleblower said:
“Some of the footage from 7 and half Amanze Junction, Obowo,
Imo State, where criminals disguising as officers operate. An officer in the
back of a van with several young boys standing. He’s going through their phones
one by one, even opening banking apps. That is criminal and illegal. An officer
inside a Hilux seized a traveler’s laptop while checking papers. What legal
right does any officer have to stop a traveler and confiscate a personal
laptop? An officer asking the one inside the van to confirm the money he
extorted from a traveler. In his exact words: ‘You don confirm the money?’”
He lamented what he described as the growing involvement of
soldiers in such acts, saying the conduct has made daily life dangerous for
innocent youths who travel along the Obowo road. He appealed directly to the
Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to act decisively.
“It’s sad that soldiers are now part of this criminality.
This is what innocent youths face every day along the Obowo road,” he said,
adding that while many officers remain professional and law-abiding, “criminals
in uniform are destroying the image of the honest and hardworking officers.”
He further warned that using firearms to extort money from
civilians was no different from kidnapping and must be stopped.
Authorities have assured the public that the matter is being
taken seriously and that those found culpable will face sanctions, as security
agencies move to restore public confidence and curb abuses by personnel on
patrol.
Watch the video below……………………………..
Security officers extorting citizens in viral video have been arrested pic.twitter.com/L4qTh4rbtJ
— DAILY POST 🇳🇬 (@dailypost_ng) December 14, 2025
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