Imo Police Arrest ‘Search and Flush’  Team for Extortion

By Tony Icheku, Owerri

The Imo State Police Command on Tuesday paraded a 6-man team of ‘Search and Flush’, a combined security surveillance team over allegations of extortion of the public. This followed a petition to the Police by a victim who alleged N360,000 was extorted from him 

The Imo State Commissioner, Mr Muhammed Barde while addressing the Press at the State Police Command, Owerri said the 6-man team comprising an  Inspector of Police, 2 Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC officials and 3 Nigeria Drugs Law  Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, NDLEA were apprehended following a petition sent to his office that the team extorted the sum of N360,000 from a member of the public

The Police Commissioner said with the arrest of the men, the Police would commence an investigation into the matter and subject those found guilty to orderly room trial

The Police boss lamented increasing  incidence of extortion by ‘Stop and Search’s teams of the Police has persisted despite stern warnings by the acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun against such practices.

Mr Barde urged Imo residents to promptly report such incidences of extortion to the Police for necessary action.

The petitioner, Mr Obiji Chidera said his junior brothers handset was searched by the 6-man team who on finding Bitcoins in his account traded it and transferred the sum of N360,000 to themselves through a POS operator.

Another victim alleged he was extorted of the sum of over N900,000 after his phone was search and N2 million found in his account.

Other victims who were present at the Police Command narrated that the surveillance teams often follow their extortion demand by subjecting them to intimidation, beatings and threats if large sums of money are found in their phones

Several items were recovered from the men including several handsets said to have been siezed from some victims, rumpled Naira notes and cartridges and bullets of AK47 gun

The Search and Flush team  comprising the Police,  Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Nigeria Drugs Law  Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the Army was set up by the Imo State Government to enhance security surveillance and control in the State.