The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, has dismissed three officers for their involvement in conspiracy, abduction, and extortion. The dismissal was announced by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, in a statement released on Friday.
The officers identified as Jonas Nnamdi, James Daniel, and Ifeanyi Emeka were found guilty of unprofessional conduct. Nnamdi, a sergeant at the Police Area Command in Aba, Daniel, a corporal in the Department of Operations in Umuahia, and Emeka, also a corporal at the Eziama Divisional Police Headquarters, were arrested on January 29. They were apprehended by a divisional police officer in the Abayi area of the state, along with two unidentified civilians, after being found armed with an electric baton, an assault rifle, and a Beretta pistol.
According to Chinaka, the officers conspired to hire a minibus, abduct civilians along the Port Harcourt Expressway, extort money from them, and then demand additional funds from the victims’ families for their release. Following an investigation and orderly room trial, the officers’ involvement in these acts was confirmed, leading to their dismissal. Their official accoutrements were seized by the command’s Provost, and they were removed from the police force.
The dismissed officers and their civilian accomplices have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for prosecution. Chinaka reiterated the Commissioner’s commitment to zero tolerance for corruption and misconduct, assuring the public that such behavior will not be tolerated within the force.
She also affirmed the command’s dedication to upholding the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in ensuring a professional, service-oriented, and law-abiding police force.
