Tuesday, April 14, 2026 - The police command in Edo state says it has arrested six police personnel and four civilians over their alleged involvement in an extortion syndicate targeting residents in Benin.
The command's spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this
in a statement released today April 13. Ikoedem explained that the arrest
followed series of complaints from members of the public alleging harassment,
abduction and extortion by individuals posing as police officers. She mentioned
that the suspects operated mainly along the Teboga axis off Aduwawa, where
unsuspecting residents were usually intercepted by them.
According to her, the suspects will forcefully convey their
victims around the city and compelled them to withdraw money through Point of
Sale (POS) operators under duress.
”The
Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, ordered a discreet, intelligence-led
investigation, and through sustained surveillance, technical intelligence and
coordinated operations by operatives of the command, the criminal network was
successfully busted. This led to the arrest of the suspects and the dismantling
of the criminal network.”
The police imagemaker mentioned that preliminary
investigations revealed that the suspects comprised of six serving and one
dismissed police personnel working in collaboration with three civilian
accomplices, including a POS operator and some commercial drivers.
”They formed
a well-organised criminal syndicate responsible for abduction and extortion of
innocent citizens, exploiting police accoutrements to deceive their victims,”
Ikoedem said
The police spokesperson said that serving personnel
implicated in the case were undergoing internal disciplinary procedures,
including orderly room trials. She added that they would be prosecuted after
investigations were concluded.
She called on victims of the syndicate to come forward with
useful information to support ongoing investigations and prosecution, while
warning POS operators and other service providers against facilitating illegal
transactions.
”Any POS
operator found to be complicit in such illegal activities will be arrested and
prosecuted accordingly,” she warned.
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