In a twist that sounds like a crime movie script, Edo Police say they’ve arrested officers yes, officers accused of turning checkpoints into cash points, extorting residents in Benin before the long arm of the law finally caught up with them.
In a major clean-up operation, the Edo State Police Command has nabbed six serving police personnel and four civilians over an alleged extortion syndicate that reportedly preyed on unsuspecting residents in Benin City.
According to police spokesperson ASP Eno Ikoedem, complaints had been piling up about individuals posing as officers, abducting victims around the Teboga axis off Aduwawa, and forcing them to withdraw cash through POS operators under duress.
Investigations revealed a coordinated network involving serving officers, a dismissed cop, POS operators, and even commercial drivers—working together like a “crime franchise” to harass and rob citizens while using police uniforms as cover.
Acting on intelligence, the Commissioner of Police ordered a discreet investigation that eventually exposed and dismantled the syndicate through surveillance and coordinated raids.
The command says the implicated officers are already facing internal disciplinary processes and will be prosecuted after investigations are concluded, while civilian suspects remain in custody.
Authorities are now urging victims to speak up and warning POS operators against aiding illegal cash withdrawals, stressing that anyone involved—uniform or not—will face the law.
For Edo residents, it’s a bitter but firm reminder: sometimes the biggest threat wears the same uniform meant to protect you.
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