Four police officers from the Swift Anti Robbery Squad, SARS attached to Area K Badagry have been arrested and taken to X-Squad Ikeja for using guns to force a helpless man, Apagbo John to the bank to withdraw N140,000 in the night in exchange for his life.
The officers were identified as two Inspectors, Pativon Patrick and Owolabi Oke and two other Sergeants namely Momoh Jimoh and Akinmade Kehinde. The incident happened at about 10pm at the ATM of Agbara branch of UBA along Badagry Expressway, Lagos.
According to P.M.EXPRESS, the dastardly act was leaked to the Area Commander, Hope Okafor who promptly intervened, ordered for their arrest and detention and they were subsequently transferred to the X-Squad for necessary action.
The suspects were currently detained at the State Police Command, Ikeja where they will likely face room trial.
It was gathered that the victim, John suffered his fate when he was driving home late in the evening with his parents vehicle and there was traffic along the expressway. The accused police officers stopped him beside the road, labeled him a suspect and threatened to kill him that night as a robber.
It was gathered that he pleaded with them not to kill him but asked them to take everything he had on him including the vehicle to spare his life.
They then allegedly forced him to their office at Area K Command, where they told him that he can only be alive if he will bring certain amount of money.
John told the officers that he was with his ATM card and had about N140,000 in the account.
It was learnt that they marched him to Agbara that night with their guns where he withdrew the money and gave them. After they collected the money, they insisted it was not enough and detained him at Area K Command.
Meanwhile, the money he withdrew at the bank belonged to his father who received alerts on the withdrawals.
However, the evil plot was exposed when his parents started making inquiry on what was happening to him and John was traced to the Command.
It was then the information got to the Area Commander, Okafor who was still in the office and she quickly stepped in, ordered the arrest of the officers, collected the money back and returned to the victim.
When our correspondent visited X-Squad at the Ikeja Command, the suspects were still detained there where they were making useful statements.
The incident was well known in the area and has attracted public condemnation.
The residents commended the Area Commander for her resilience in the fight to reduce corruption among the officers, which they said were unprecedented in the area.
The Area Commander could not be reach for comment.
