Police detain officers accused of N40,000 extortion in Abuja

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The FCT Police Command has identified officers accused of allegedly extorting N40,000 from a resident along Wuye-Utako Road, near Salem Church, in the Federal Capital Territory.

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The Command said the officers depicted in a video circulating on social media had been identified and were in custody.

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The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

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“The attention of the Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, PhD, FCAI, has been drawn to a video circulating on social media alleging that police officers of the FCT Police Command extorted an FCT resident of the sum of Forty Thousand Naira (₦40,000) along Wuye – Utako Road, by Salem Church, within the Federal Capital Territory.

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“The officers depicted in the video have been identified and are in custody,” the statement read.

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The video, which began circulating widely on social media around August 24, features a man who claimed that on August 20, 2026, a police officer in Abuja collected ₦40,000 from him even after verifying that his documents were complete.

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The man shared footage showing a receipt and a conversation after he returned to the checkpoint.

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Adeh said the Command had also invited the complainant to the FCT Police Command Headquarters to give an official statement on the incident to aid investigation and disciplinary action.

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“He can reach out to the Command’s Public Relations Officer via 07038979348 or 08180382808,” the PPRO said.

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The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Sanusi, reiterated that the Command would not tolerate any form of extortion, abuse of authority, misconduct or unprofessional conduct by police personnel.

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“Any officer found culpable after due investigation will be subjected to appropriate disciplinary and legal action in accordance with extant laws and regulations,” the statement quoted Sanusi as saying.

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The Command called on members of the public to report cases of police misconduct and provide relevant information that could assist investigations.

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PUNCH Online reports that this incident occurs against a backdrop of repeated public complaints about police extortion at checkpoints in Abuja.

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In June 2026, CP Sanusi publicly warned officers against extorting commercial tricycle (Keke Napep) and motorcycle (Okada) operators, stating that any officer found doing so would be treated as a thief rather than a policeman.

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In July 2026, the Command detained four officers and ordered their orderly room trial after they allegedly abandoned their posts, mounted an unauthorised checkpoint and extorted about ₦52,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Musa Aliyu, SAN.

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