Police officers parading themselves as officials of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have been queried for extorting N46,000 from two brothers in Ikorodu area of Lagos. They have also refunded the money.
This development came after FIJ reported how the accused police officers preyed on unsuspecting citizens, in the name of being SARS officials.
After FIJ reported the story, the police invited the victims, Subomi Sotayo and his brother Joshua, to the Area N Police Station at the Ijede area of Ikorodu, for refund of their money.
READ ALSO: SARS Officers Extort N46,000 Withdrawn from POS from Two Brothers
“They’ve returned the money to us,” Sotayo, one of the two brothers, confirmed to FIJ on Thursday. “They called us to come and get the money so I went there with my brother.”
FIJ had learnt that the accused officers have been operating in the Ikorodu axis since February, using a private Toyota Corolla car.
A senior officer at the police station however disclosed to our reporter that the accused police officers had been served queries for acting unethically and tarnishinh the image of the force.
“The head of the patrol team was not around when that incident occurred; that is why the boys started misbehaving,” he told FIJ. “I am giving him a query because he’s spoiling our name. What can that money do for me?”
Adedigba Adeyinka, a member of the Public Complaints Bureau of the Police in Abuja, described advised members of the public to always reach out to them to report such cases of police brutality.
Adeyinka had followed up with the case until he ensured that the extorted fund was returned to the owners. He added that his unit of the police remains committed to getting justice for victims of police excesses in the society.
Subscribe
Be the first to receive special investigative reports and features in your inbox.