The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has removed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Oyigbo Police Division following allegations of extortion and abuse of office.
The action came after a rights activist accused the officer of collecting N500,000 from a resident who was allegedly arrested and detained without any known offence.
The activist, who shared evidence of the payment on social media, also alleged that the officer filed what he described as questionable charges against a woman involved in a dispute with her estranged husband, accusing her of stealing her own children.
According to the claims, the woman was subsequently remanded in a correctional facility based on the charges, a development that sparked public criticism.
Reacting to the allegations, the Rivers State Police Command confirmed that it had received complaints against the DPO and had commenced necessary action.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, ASP Grace Iringe-Koko Agabe, said the officer’s removal was part of efforts to ensure transparency, accountability and professionalism within the force.
She explained that the commissioner ordered the immediate redeployment of the officer to allow for a thorough and unbiased investigation into the allegations.
Agabe stated that Adepoju expressed concern over the claims and reiterated the command’s zero-tolerance stance on misconduct, abuse of office and any act capable of eroding public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
“The officer concerned has been immediately removed from his position pending the outcome of a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter,” the statement read in part.
The police command assured residents that the investigation would be conducted diligently and professionally, pledging that appropriate action would be taken based on its findings.