By Nick Ibe, Abuja

For extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an illegal stop-and-search operation in Abuja, four police officers have been detained by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

Ahmed Sanusi, the FCT Commissioner of Police, made the disclosure on Monday, 20 July, 2026 while briefing journalists in Abuja. He called the officers “thieves” who had no business wearing the police uniform.

He said that the officers mounted an unauthorised checkpoint around the Banex area of Wuse after leaving their respective duty posts and extorted the ICPC chairman without knowing his identity.

Sanusi added that the ICPC boss was forced to withdraw N53,000 through a Point of Sale operator and even paid the transaction charges before the officers shared the money among themselves. In his words:

“I must say here too that we have about four policemen in custody as we speak who successfully extorted somebody of high importance, unknown to them that this person is a highly placed person in society. In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC.

“They extorted him of N53,000. They took him to a POS, he withdrew the money, paid the charges and they shared the money among themselves.”

The police commissioner said investigations revealed that the officers had abandoned their designated duty posts and formed a gang that mounted an illegal checkpoint to extort motorists.

“They are a gang of criminals who left various divisions, clustered together, moved to Wuse Banex and created a checkpoint where they perpetrated this act before fleeing,” he said.

“We got all of them. We are going to make sure they are severely punished. Those that are going to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed,” he added.

The commissioner reiterated that the Inspector-General of Police had prohibited indiscriminate search of citizens’ mobile phones by officers on patrol.

He advised residents to refuse any unlawful demand by policemen to search their phones on the roadside and immediately report such incidents through the police emergency lines.

“You cannot stop anybody on the road and ask the person to bring out his phone for search. If any policeman stops you and asks to search your phone, don’t agree. Call the police emergency lines and we will ask them why,” Sanusi said.

He urged members of the public to promptly report cases of extortion and other misconduct by police personnel, assuring that offenders would be tracked down and sanctioned.

By Felix Umande, Makurdi

The Benue State Police Command has dismissed reports of bandits mounting roadblocks and attacking motorists along the Makurdi-Lafia highway, describing the claims as false and aimed at causing panic.

Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Makurdi.

He said patrol teams were immediately deployed to the highway after the report surfaced but found no evidence of any attack or illegal roadblock.

“Vehicular movement remained uninterrupted throughout the period. We urge the public to disregard what was circulated by mischief makers,” Nwadiogbu said.

The commissioner also gave an update on the investigation into the assassination of Professor Gabriel Saawuan Nyityo and his younger brother, Iorngee John Nyityo, killed in Adaka community, Makurdi, on July 8.

According to him, investigations have established that the killings were a premeditated assassination and not a robbery.

Nwadiogbu said the principal suspect, 23-year-old Abdullahi Usman from Nasarawa State, was arrested at an NDLEA checkpoint in Lafia barely four hours after the incident.

He added that collaboration with the Department of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies in Nasarawa State had led to the arrest of additional suspects linked to the crime. Efforts, he noted, are ongoing to apprehend alleged local collaborators believed to have aided the attackers.

The police boss highlighted other arrests made by the command in recent weeks including 10 suspects arrested in connection with the killing of two Fulani leaders in Ohimini Local Government Area. Suspected armed robbers and kidnappers neutralised during separate operations in Makurdi, Katsina-Ala and Logo, with arms and ammunition recovered. One suspect arrested in connection with the Otukpo-Nobi attack. 12 suspected cultists apprehended during an annual gathering in Gboko.

Nwadiogbu appealed to residents to ignore fake news and to support security agencies with credible and timely information.

By Felix Umande, Makurdi

Gunmen who abducted three siblings while they were transporting their mother’s corpse from Abuja to Benue State for burial have released two of the victims and dumped the body of the deceased woman, authorities confirmed Sunday.

The third sibling remains in captivity as security operatives intensify efforts to secure his release.

The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on Saturday between Omutele and Ankpechi communities along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road in Oglewu District, Ohimini Local Government Area. The family was travelling to Iklenyi Community in Okpokwu Local Government Area for the burial.

A resident, Elijah, told journalists on Sunday that the kidnappers freed two of the siblings on Saturday night and also released the corpse to allow the family to proceed with burial rites.

“The kidnappers released two siblings and dumped the corpse yesterday night (Saturday night) so they could bury their mother. But one of them is still being held,” Elijah said.

Confirming the development, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, said the remains of the woman had already been taken to Okpokwu for burial.

“The corpse has already been taken to Okpokwu for burial. It is one of them that is still with the kidnappers; they are yet to release him,” Adole said.

He added that a joint team of security personnel had been deployed to the forest.

“As we speak (Sunday evening), security operatives, including conventional police officers, soldiers and other security agents, are still in the bush trying to rescue the victim,” Adole said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had not received a formal report of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer in Ohimini LGA.

The abduction sparked outrage after it was first reported Saturday, with calls for security agencies to secure the release of all victims and ensure safer highways in the state.