The Nigeria Police Force has arrested eight police officers over alleged involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion, stealing, and official corruption in Rivers State and other parts of the country.
The suspects, who are serving officers attached to the Rivers State Police Command and Zone 16 Headquarters in Bayelsa State, were apprehended following intelligence-led investigations into criminal misconduct within the force.
Addressing journalists, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, said the officers abused the authority entrusted to them by engaging in criminal activities inconsistent with the ethics and professionalism of the police force.
According to him, investigations uncovered organised criminal networks involving both serving and dismissed officers, leading to arrests, recovery of exhibits, and the commencement of disciplinary and criminal proceedings against those implicated.
Placid stated that one of the major cases involved serving officers attached to Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, who allegedly operated an illegal patrol and extortion syndicate within Rivers State.
He explained that on February 3, 2026, a victim identified as Festus Saturday reported that he was unlawfully intercepted, abducted, and robbed by armed policemen posing as stop-and-search operatives along Igbo Etche Road in Port Harcourt.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident occurred on November 3, 2025, when the complainant and his cousin were travelling in a Lexus RX 350 before being stopped by a six-man police team operating in a Toyota Sienna bus.
Although no incriminating items were found during the search, the officers allegedly assaulted the victims, forced them to unlock their mobile phones, and gained access to their banking and cryptocurrency applications.
The victims were reportedly abducted to an undisclosed location where the suspects allegedly transferred N4.5 million from the complainant’s OPay account and 1,742 US dollars from his cryptocurrency wallet.
Police authorities disclosed that the total amount allegedly stolen was valued at N7.3 million, including the foreign currency equivalent.
The Force spokesperson further stated that investigations confirmed the suspects were armed with AK-47 rifles during the operation and had allegedly carried out similar criminal activities against several unsuspecting residents across Rivers State using the same method.
He added that three Toyota Sienna space buses used in the operations were recovered alongside the stolen sum of N7.3 million.
Placid also disclosed another case involving officers attached to the Department of Operations (DOPS) Patrol Team of the Rivers State Police Command.
According to him, the officers allegedly carried out a series of illegal stop-and-search operations between September 2025 and January 2026, during which unsuspecting citizens were intercepted and forced to reveal their banking details and PINs.
The suspects reportedly transferred funds from victims’ bank and cryptocurrency accounts during the operations carried out across different locations in Rivers State.
The police said investigations are ongoing while efforts are being intensified to apprehend other suspects currently at large.
Elijah Adeyemi
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