NEWS
Young Man Cries Out After Alleged Police Extortion in Imo, Claims Officers Withdrew ₦582,000 From His Account
A young man has cried out over an alleged incident of police extortion in Imo State, accusing officers at a checkpoint of forcefully taking his ATM card and withdrawing ₦582,000 from his bank account.
According to the young man, the incident occurred while he was travelling from Aba to Imo State in a public vehicle. He alleged that police officers at a checkpoint stopped the vehicle and ordered him to come down for a search.
He said the officers searched his bag but reportedly found nothing incriminating. However, he alleged that one of the officers subsequently pushed him into their vehicle while the public transport vehicle he was travelling in was allowed to continue its journey without him.
The young man claimed the officers then drove him to several locations, during which they allegedly collected his mobile phone and went through his financial transactions. He said the officers questioned him repeatedly about the source of the money in his account.
He further alleged that the officers eventually took him to a Point-of-Sale outlet, where they seized his ATM card and instructed the POS operator to check his account balance.
According to his account, the situation allegedly became more violent when the officers demanded his ATM PIN. He claimed that one of the officers struck him with an iron object and threatened to shoot him if he refused to disclose the PIN.
The young man alleged that after obtaining the PIN, one of the officers used his ATM card to withdraw a total of ₦582,000 from his account.
He has now raised the alarm over the alleged incident, calling attention to the circumstances surrounding the encounter and seeking accountability for the money allegedly taken from him.
The allegations, however, remain claims by the young man and have not been independently verified. It was also not immediately clear whether a formal complaint had been lodged with the police authorities or whether the officers involved had responded to the allegations.