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N62 million Extortion Mess: Ozekhome writes IGP to initiate investigation of Enugu CP Kanayo Uzuegbu
Following allegation by a business mogul, Mr Olu Agwu against the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Kanayo Uzuegbu that the sum of N62 million was extorted from him, an Abuja based senior lawyer and human rights activist, Mike Ozekhome has written to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to initiate investigation of the matter.
Reports indicated that the businessman was accused of having a link with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB which they could not prove, but pressured him into transferring sums of money at various times into bank accounts controlled by police officers.
This situation has been a norm where businessmen in South East are accused of having affiliation with the IPOB falsely in order for the officers to extort money from them.
In a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, the constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof. Mike Ozekhome outlined Agwu’s distressing experience. The petition describes unlawful arrest, detention, and extortion carried out under the pretense of combating terrorism and IPOB activities.
According to Ozekhome, Agwu, is a law-abiding citizen residing in Lagos, who has never been involved in IPOB activities, hence, the allegation was a brazen intimidation orchestrated by one of his business associate identified as Michael Umeh in connivance with some police officers in Enugu State to coerce him into parting away with sums of money.
The businessman was arrested on December 26, 2024, and has since suffered severe mistreatment, intimidation, and financial coercion.
The extortion operation, which reportedly involved notable figures such as one Hon Ochi Nonso and an individual known as ‘Daddy White,’ resulted in Mr Agwu relinquishing N62 million to evade further torture and false charges.
Nonso, allegedly introduced by the Police Commissioner, collected N20 million purportedly on the commissioner’s behalf. Additionally, the investigating officer demanded N2 million to modify Mr Agwu’s coerced statement, with new threats for an extra N100 million jeopardizing Agwu’s safety and financial stability.
Ozekhome in the petition is demanding for immediate and comprehensive investigation by the Inspector General of Police against Agwu which is considered “unfounded”, adding that the officers or their collaborators should stop threatening him or his businesses and urged the Commissioner of Police to return the extorted N62 million.
The actions of the Enugu State Police Command, as detailed in the petition, represent a significant violation of legal and ethical standards, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the police force.
As the scandal develops, public attention intensifies, with calls for accountability and justice for Olu Agwu and other potential victims of police misconduct. The request for intervention by the Inspector General of Police signifies a pivotal moment in addressing corruption and abuse of power within the Nigerian Police Force.
