Crime
Extortion: Police Officers in Viral Video Face Disciplinary Action in Abuja
Police officers attached to the Ekiti State Police Command who were caught in a viral video allegedly extorting and intimidating a motorcyclist have been summoned to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary proceedings.
The Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) confirmed the development in an update posted on X, stating that the officers were undergoing disciplinary action on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
The case, registered under complaint tracking number CRU100953, followed a petition submitted on October 6 by representatives of the Biker Association, Federal University Oye-Ekiti chapter.
The association accused the officers of extorting and intimidating one of its members who was travelling alone from Itapa to Ikole-Ekiti when he was intercepted by a police patrol team.
A video of the encounter, which subsequently circulated on social media, showed a heated exchange between the motorcyclist and an officer during a purported roadworthiness check.
The rider was allegedly asked to pay ₦20,000, while accompanying claims suggested that he was also threatened during the confrontation.
Reacting to the incident in an earlier statement, the Ekiti State Police Command disclosed that the officers involved had been identified and taken into custody for questioning.
The command said the allegations, which included extortion, intimidation, disobedience to lawful orders and other acts of professional misconduct, had been referred to the State Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti for a comprehensive investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Falade Micheal, subsequently directed that the personnel be subjected to appropriate disciplinary procedures in accordance with police regulations.
He condemned extortion, intimidation and abuse of authority by police personnel, warning that such conduct undermines public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
The command further reiterated that officers have no authority to demand or collect money from members of the public while performing their legitimate duties.
With the officers now undergoing disciplinary proceedings at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the police have yet to announce the final outcome of the investigation or disclose the specific sanctions they may face.
Newswatch will publish a collection of writings by its founding editor, Dele Giwa, on October 19, to mark the 40th anniversary of his assassination.
Titled Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, the book will feature his works from the Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine, alongside tributes from prominent journalists who knew and worked with him.
The publication was announced by Newswatch Plus Limited and the wider Newswatch family in a statement signed by the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Soji Akinrinade.
The book presentation is scheduled for noon at the Kessington Adebutu Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.
The founder and publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Sam Amuka, will chair the event, while veteran journalist Ray Ekpu edited the book.
The proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria has suffered a setback, with only five of the 36 State Houses of Assembly approving the bill ahead of the October 16 deadline set by the National Assembly.
The five states are Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, leaving 31 others yet to communicate their positions on the proposed legislation.
The bill, transmitted to state legislatures on September 16, requires the approval of at least 24 State Houses of Assembly, representing two-thirds of the federation, before it can proceed for presidential assent.
Investigations revealed that several state legislatures, including Ogun, Delta, Abia, Anambra, Imo and Kaduna, are still reviewing the proposal, consulting stakeholders or planning public hearings before taking a final position.
The proposed amendment seeks to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system by establishing a Federal Police Service alongside state police services, empowering individual states to create and manage their own police formations.
The initiative has gained prominence amid worsening security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence. While proponents believe state police would strengthen local security responses, critics have expressed concerns over possible political abuse by state governors.
Despite the slow pace of approvals, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, expressed confidence that the amendment would be concluded before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly in 2027.
Adaramodu maintained that the Senate was not under pressure, stressing that the process would advance once the required 24 state legislatures endorsed the proposal.
Meanwhile, the Presidency disclosed on Thursday that the National Policing Bill, designed to provide the operational framework for state police, is 90 per cent ready.
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, made the disclosure after a steering committee meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the bill could be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks, following final consultations with governors and other stakeholders.
Gbajabiamila described the proposed legislation as one of the most consequential bills of the Tinubu administration, expressing optimism that the states would eventually support the constitutional amendment.
The legislation is expected to address policing standards, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and financial requirements for establishing state police services.
Troops of the Nigerian Army have launched a major offensive against Lakurawa terrorists in Sokoto State, destroying several camps, killing an unspecified number of insurgents and recovering weapons and five motorcycles.
The operation, carried out on Thursday, October 15, 2026, by troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, targeted terrorist hideouts within Waria Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state.
According to a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the troops advanced through identified terrorist enclaves around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages before engaging the insurgents in Waria Forest.
Danja disclosed that the soldiers overpowered the terrorists during a fierce gun battle, forcing them to abandon their positions and retreat deeper into the forest.
The troops subsequently pursued the fleeing insurgents, killing several of them before conducting further clearance operations that resulted in the destruction of their camps and supporting structures.
Weapons and five motorcycles believed to have been used by the terrorists were also recovered during the operation.
The Theatre Command said troops had maintained a strong military presence in the affected communities, with further operations underway to prevent the insurgents from regrouping or establishing new hideouts.
It reaffirmed the military’s determination to dismantle terrorist networks, eliminate their operational bases and restore lasting peace across the North-West geopolitical zone.
Commending the soldiers for their bravery and resilience, the command urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely intelligence on suspicious movements and activities within their communities.
It maintained that sustained military offensives, supported by public cooperation, remained crucial to denying terrorist groups freedom of movement and restoring security in affected areas.
ENUGU, October 12, 2026 — The Enugu State Police Command has launched an investigation into a viral video allegedly showing the torture and degrading treatment of a 60-year-old woman, Chinenye Okonkwo, in Amafu Village, Ugbawka, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID) to investigate the incident following the circulation of the disturbing video.
According to a press release issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, police operatives from the Nkanu East Division have visited the victim and obtained her statement.
Preliminary findings indicate that Okonkwo was allegedly subjected to severe abuse, including being forced to eat human faeces, following accusations of witchcraft and claims that she was responsible for the death of her husband’s brother’s wife.
The police said efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest the suspects, who remain at large.
CP Giwa condemned the alleged abuse and degrading treatment, directing a thorough investigation and intensified efforts to apprehend those involved, including their accomplices.
He also warned members of the public against jungle justice and other forms of self-help, stressing that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
The police command reiterated its commitment to protecting residents’ lives and dignity and ensuring that those responsible for the alleged incident are brought to justice.
The statement was signed by SP Daniel Ndukwe, Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, at the State Police Headquarters, GRA, Enugu, on October 12, 2026.
A Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered the remand of Nigerian-American car dealer Oluwatobi Adegoke at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Correctional Centre over an alleged $680,000 vehicle-import fraud.
Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe issued the order on Friday following Adegoke’s arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge of stealing.
According to the EFCC, Adegoke was arrested in July 2026 over an alleged cross-border scheme involving the purported purchase and importation of luxury vehicles from the United States to Nigeria.
Investigators reportedly linked him to a US-based syndicate allegedly targeting Nigerians seeking to purchase vehicles abroad.
The commission alleged that Adegoke, while residing in the United States, circulated photographs of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to prospective buyers, claiming he could procure and ship the vehicle to Nigeria.
The EFCC further alleged that two victims paid more than $320,000, equivalent to approximately ₦434.88 million, in connection with the transaction.
However, the charge before the court cited an alleged theft of $680,000 belonging to Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike.
According to the charge, the money was transferred to the bank account of Adegoke’s company, Omosco Auto Sales LLC, for the purchase of a 2022 G-Wagon from an individual identified as Mr Robinson.
The alleged offence is punishable under Sections 278(1)(b) and 285(1)(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Adegoke pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following the plea, EFCC counsel Arazeem Adebayo urged the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant.
Defence counsel Olalekan Abiodun, whose earlier objection to the arraignment was overruled, subsequently asked the court to keep his client in EFCC custody pending the filing of a bail application.
The judge rejected the request and ordered that Adegoke be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Correctional Centre.
The court adjourned the case until January 13, 2027, for the commencement of trial.
The allegations against Adegoke remain subject to judicial determination.
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