Expired Tinted Glass Permit: Policemen Arrested In Rivers For Demanding N1m Bribe
•By Admin
PORT HARCOURT – THE Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and detention of some officers who allegedly assaulted a motorist for refusing to pay the sum of N1 million bribe following the expiration of his car’s tinted glass permit.
The arrested policemen who were seen in a social media viral video stopped the victim, Mr Cletus Emmanuel Onyekachi, along Igbo-Etche Road, and demanded a bribe, but after he failed to pay the amount, the officers became violent.
It was gathered that the violent officers also attacked victim’s brother and another female passenger, beating them and inflicting injuries on them.
Narrating what transpired, Onyekachi said the incident occurred on Monday when the car he was driving was stopped by police officers on his way back from a car wash.
He stated that after he was stopped, the officers demanded to see his papers, which he provided and upon checking the car particulars, the officers informed him that his tinted permit had expired a few days ago.
Mr Onyekachi said as a penalty, the policeman demanded the sum of N1 million, adding that after a brief negotiation, he offered N20,000 which the officers declined accepting saying it was insufficient.
According to him, the situation turned violent when one of the officers became agitated and slapped him, pulled him to the floor and repeatedly stepped on his head.
He said: “After a few question of why haven’t I renewed and all, he instructed that I revise the car and go to the station.
“I asked him what will I do so I can go, he said I should give him N1 million, So I started to bargain. I offered to give him N20,000, but one of the police men that was dark in complexion got provoked and said that the money was too small. While we were arguing, I stepped aside to call a friend to send me some money to at least add up with what I had and give for peace to reign.
“One of the officers fair in complexion, saw me while I was about to make the call and ran towards me, and started shouting that I wanted to show them that I have contacts, threatening to deal with me.
“He snatched the phone from me, he gave me two slaps on my eye and brushed me to the ground.
“I fell on my left side then he used his legs and marched my face. When my brother intervened he was manhandled too, as for the lady with us, they stripped her naked because they felt she was videoing them.”
Confirming the arrest and detention of the erring officers, the Public Relations Officer, Rivers Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the state Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident, assigning the CP Monitoring Team to handle the matter.
Iringe-Koko, disclosed that the detained officers are currently facing disciplinary action, assuring the public that the Command remains committed to upholding professionalism and accountability in policing.
She emphasized that the outcome of the investigation will be made public in due course.