CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A police Inspector attached to Area K Command in Badagry, Lagos, Okoi Etim has been arrested and taken to Alagbon, after he received N60,000 marked money as bribe in one of the hotels in the area.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the officer reportedly lied to hotel owners using the name of the Area Commander, ACP Hope Okafor to extort N60,000 each from the hoteliers to enable them operate in the area peacefully.

However, it turned out that his lies turned against him as the hotel association trapped him with marked money. While he was smiling counting the money to check if it was complete, he was arrested by the detectives and handcuffed. Okoi is currently detained at Force Criminal Investigation Intelligent Department, FCIID Alagbon Annex in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The operation was carried out by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, General Investigation,Mr Abutu Yaro, who deployed his team to the area to trap Etim following a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police DIG, in Abuja over Etim’s conduct in Badagry area.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the petitioner alleged that Etim and his team have been extorting the hoteliers for over six years using intimidation and harassment.

It was gathered that the new Area Commander, Okafor had tried to sensitize the officers at the Command on professionalism and discouraged them from corruption which negatively affected Etim’s illegal income and he decided to embark on a single journey of extortion that may cost him his job.

Apart from the latest money, the owners of the hotels alleged that Etim had been obtaining from them between N10,000 to N15,000 on every Friday before he imposed the N60,000 for every month without the knowledge of the Area Commander who resumed two months ago.

It was not certain if the Command was aware of Etim’s illegal activities in the area as the Area Commander, ACP Okafor was newly posted there and was still trying to stabilize before this incident happened.

When our correspondent visited the Command, Okafor was said to have gone for a meeting at the State Headquarters in Ikeja and unavailable for comments.

Residents who knew about the arrest expressed their happiness and commended Okafor over her performance since she took over the Command.

Some of the residents said it has not been easy for Okafor who they said was winning the war against corruption against some officers who have resisted transfer over the years due to their dubious activities.

A resident told P.M.EXPRESS that since two months ago that Okafor came to the Command, she has made remarkable changes as she had successfully dismantled all the illegal road blocks along Badagry expressway now called ECOWAS Road.

She was said to have arrested some corrupt officers and transferred them out of the Command.

Meanwhile, sources said the police authority has gone to Etim’s house and recovered all his property signifying that Etim may be on his way out of the Nigeria Police Force.

Pmexpressng