The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a criminal syndicate involving serving police officers accused of armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, stealing, and criminal conspiracy in Port Harcourt and other parts of Rivers State, leading to the dismissal of five inspectors and the arrest of three others.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, disclosed this while parading the suspects before journalists at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, on Thursday evening.
Placid said the eight inspectors formed part of a criminal network that terrorised residents of Rivers State by operating illegal patrols in Toyota Sienna buses, intercepting unsuspecting victims, abducting them to isolated locations, assaulting them, forcing them to unlock their mobile phones, and transferring millions of naira from their bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
According to him, five of the suspects attached to the Rivers State Police Command have been dismissed after undergoing orderly room proceedings, while the three others attached to Zone 16 Headquarters in Yenagoa will face disciplinary action and prosecution.
He also revealed that three other inspectors linked to the syndicate are currently on the run.
The dismissed officers were identified as John Okoi, Eyibo Asuquo, Udo Ndipmong, Bright Nwachukwu, and Anele Ikechukwu.
Placid said investigations further exposed supervisory failures and alleged complicity by some superior officers who failed to enforce directives prohibiting the use of minibuses for patrol duties, thereby enabling the syndicate’s operations.
He explained that the second phase of the investigation began following petitions submitted by the Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation on behalf of victims who alleged they were unlawfully abducted, assaulted, extorted, and dispossessed of their valuables by armed policemen operating under the guise of official patrol duties.
The three arrested inspectors from Zone 16 were identified as Ayanniyi Jelili, Durojaye Francis, and Olayemi Titus.
Placid disclosed that investigations showed the suspects carried out several illegal stop-and-search operations between September 2025 and January 2026 across Rivers State, during which they allegedly seized victims’ phones, obtained banking details and PINs, and unlawfully transferred money from their accounts.
One of the major cases involved a complaint by Festus Saturday, who reported that he and his cousin were intercepted along Igbo Etche Road in Port Harcourt on November 3, 2025, by armed officers operating in a Toyota Sienna bus.
Although no incriminating items were found during the search, the officers allegedly detained and assaulted the victims before forcing them to unlock their mobile phones, granting access to their banking and cryptocurrency applications.
The suspects were said to have abducted the victims to an unknown location, where they allegedly transferred ₦4.5 million from the complainant’s Opay account and $1,742 from his cryptocurrency wallet, bringing the total amount stolen to ₦7,338,800.
Following the complaint, police investigators tracked and arrested the suspects, who allegedly confessed to operating the illegal patrol and extortion syndicate with three other officers still at large.
Recovered exhibits include three Toyota Sienna buses allegedly used in the operations, as well as ₦7,338,800 recovered from the suspects.
Placid added that further investigations revealed the officers allegedly operated with AK-47 rifles and may have carried out similar criminal activities against several unsuspecting residents across Rivers State.
He assured members of the public that the actions of the dismissed officers do not represent the values and professional standards of the Nigeria Police Force, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to accountability, discipline, transparency, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
