Seven police officers from the Imo State Police Command have been fired after being found responsible for police brutality, harassment, extortion, unlawful phone checking, and flagrant disobedience to the directions of the Inspector-General of Police on extortion and incivility toward members of the public.
Mike Abattam, the spokesperson for the Command, said in a statement that the former officers have also been charged to court. He listed their names as follows: F/No. 462315 Sgt. Ohakim Chibuzo, F/No. 505455 Sgt. Irome Finian, F/No. 505592 Sgt. George Osueke, F/No. 511966 Cpl. Kelechi Onuegbu, F/No. 512320 Cpl. Nwagoro Isdore, F/No. 528165 PC Nwadike Stephen and F/No. 528156 PC Ihemtuge Plastidus.
He went on to say that the ex-police officers were apprehended on November 8, 2022, in a bank in Umuahia, Abia State, for allegedly extorting money from a victim and engaging in illegal activities outside of their area.
The police spokesman stated that the suspects had been found guilty after a disciplinary hearing and had been charged with the offences listed on Charge Sheet No. OW/746C/2022 in the Magistrate Court in Owerri.
Abattam reported that the state’s police commissioner had issued an order to all department heads, divisional police officers, and tactical team commanders to ensure their subordinates were warned against engaging in sharp practices and that any police officer found complicit would be subject to disciplinary actions.
In addition, he gave orders for the heads of the X-Squad Unit under the Inspector-General of Police and the Monitoring Unit under the Commissioner of Police to begin intensive surveillance of police officers in and around the city.