The Edo State Police Command has dismantled an extortion syndicate allegedly involving serving and dismissed Police personnel, alongside civilian accomplices, operating within Benin City and its environs.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Edo State, ASP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, noting that the breakthrough followed a series of complaints from residents alleging harassment, abduction, and extortion by individuals posing as law enforcement officers.

According to the statement, the suspects operated mainly around the Teboga axis off Aduwawa, where they intercepted unsuspecting victims, forcefully conveyed them across different locations, and compelled them to withdraw money through Point of Sale (POS) operators.

“The Command had in recent times received several complaints from members of the public alleging harassment, abduction and extortion by individuals posing as Police officers,” the PPRO said.

She added that acting on the reports, the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, ordered a discreet, intelligence-driven investigation which led to the arrest of 10 suspects, including Police personnel and civilians.

Those arrested, according to the police, include a POS operator, an ASP, two inspectors, two corporals, a dismissed corporal, and two commercial drivers.

Preliminary investigations, according to the police, revealed that the suspects formed a coordinated criminal network engaged in abduction and extortion, using Police uniforms and accoutrements to deceive victims.

“They exploited Police accoutrements to deceive victims and carried out their operations with impunity, thereby bringing the name of the Nigeria Police Force into disrepute,” Ikoedem stated.

The command further disclosed that serving officers implicated in the case are undergoing internal disciplinary procedures, including orderly room trials, and will be prosecuted upon conclusion of investigations.

The PPRO called on members of the public who may have fallen victim to the syndicate to come forward with useful information to aid ongoing investigations.

She also warned POS operators and merchants against facilitating illegal transactions, stressing that anyone found complicit would be arrested and prosecuted.

“The Edo State Police Command reassures the public of its commitment to sanitising the system and ensuring that no individual, regardless of status, is above the law,” the statement added.