Some police officers dey do armed robbery and kidnapping?

Di Nigerian Police Command don dismiss some police officers for armed robbery and kidnapping.

Force tok tok pesin DCP Anthony Okon Placid tok dis one for Port Harcourt say dis dey come after some intelligence-led investigations into serious criminal misconduct wey involve both serving and dismissed police personnel wey dey operate within Rivers State and oda parts of kontri.

DCP Placid say di dismissed officers abuse di authority wey dem get and use am engage in conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, stealing, and official corruption, wey be acts wey no dey on line with di ethics, professionalism, and core values of di Nigeria Police Force.

"Through diligent investigations, dis Command don uncover dis criminal networks, make arrests, recover exhibits, and initiate both disciplinary and criminal proceedings against all pesins wey dey culpable.

Case of conspiracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping by serving police officers

DCP Anthony Okon Placid say dis case involve serving police officers wey dey attached to Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, wey allegedly operate illegal patrol and extortion syndicate within Rivers State.

E say on 3 February 2026, one Festus Saturday bin file a formal complaint wey allege say some armed policemen wey pose as stop-and-search officers unlawfully abduct and rob am along Igbo Etche Road for Port Harcourt.

E say findings of di Investigation establish say on 3 November 2025, di complainant bin dey drive with im cousin for one Lexus RX 350 wen a six-man police team wey dey operate from a Toyota Sienna bus stop dem.

"Dem no find any incriminating item on dem during di search. Despite dis, di officers detain and assault di complainant, force am to unlock im mobile phones, and proceed to access im banking and cryptocurrency applications.

Di officers also abduct both men to an undisclosed location, wia dem forcibly transfer di following sums from di victimsaccounts:

Di total value of funds wey dem unlawfully obtain from di victim amount to NGN 7,338,800.00, inclusive of di foreign currency equivalent." E tok

DCP Placid say further investigation confam say di suspects bin dey armed with AK-47 rifles during operations and bin don engage in similar criminal activities against multiple unsuspecting citizens within Rivers State using di same method of operation.

E give di names, rank and numbers of di suspects wey dem arrest in connection with dis crime as

Exhibits dem recover from dem include three Toyota Sienna Space buses wey dem use for di illegal operations and cash sum of 7,338,800.00 ($4000) wey dem recover from di arrested suspects

As to di next step, di Force tok tok pesin say dem don first of all establish a prima facie case of conspiracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping against all six suspects.

Di three arrested officers currently dey undergo orderly room proceedings and dem go charge dem to court while dem don begin a manhunt to arrest di remaining three suspects wey runaway

2nd Case of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping

DCP Placid say dis case relate to a pattern of criminal conduct by officers wey dey attached to di Department of Operations (DOPS) Patrol Team, Rivers State Police Command, Port Harcourt.

E say di misconduct come to light through petitions submitted to di Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, by Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation on behalf of multiple victims.

Findings of investigation establish say di suspects, while armed and operating in minibuses, routinely dey catch unsuspecting citizens during illegal stop-and-search operations. Victims dey forced to reveal dia banking PINs and account details, after which dem go unlawfully transfer funds from dia bank and cryptocurrency accounts.

E say di criminal activities happun on separate occasions between September 2025 and January 2026 for multiple locations across Rivers State as di suspects falsely present demsefs as operatives of Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, in oda to intimidate victims and evade suspicion.

E give a summary of di victims and losses to include:

Suspects wey dem don arrest and dismiss include:

DCP Placid say following di orderly room proceedings, all five officers dey dismissed from di Nigeria Police Force with immediate effect as sem don establish a prima facie case of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, official corruption, and extortion against each of dem.

Di case file dey wit di office of di Director of Public Prosecutions, and charges dey expected to be filed within 30 days.

‘We go address evri act of misconduct of officers’

Di Police authority say di actions of dis officers (both di ones dem dismiss and di ones awaiting prosecution) represent a grave betrayal of di trust wey dey placed in dem by di pipo of Rivers State and do nation at large.

"Dem no reflect di values, standards, or professional conduct wey dey expected of members of dis Force."

Under di leadership of di Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu psc(+), di police don take steps to show accountability, transparency, and to protect citizens' rights.

Not too long ago, di Police take disciplinary actions against officers wey shoot a young man for Delta State, Mene Ogidi, point blank sake of say dem see am wit gun wey e go receive as parcel

Dis incident bin raise plenti toktok and raise concerns about di bad conduct of some police officers with calls for urgent police reform and reorientation .

But as DCP Anthony Okon Placid tok, di Force dey encourage members of di public to report cases of police misconduct, abuse of office, and human rights violations to

E say dem go treat all complaints with strict confidentiality and prompt action on evri verified report.