The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has ordered the removal of the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Oyigbo Division following allegations of extortion and abuse of authority.
The officer was relieved of his duties after accusations emerged on social media linking him to the unlawful detention of a resident and the collection of N500,000 allegedly obtained under questionable circumstances.
The claims were made by a civil rights campaigner who shared evidence of the payment online and called for disciplinary action against the officer.
The activist further alleged that the DPO handled a domestic dispute in a controversial manner by initiating charges against a woman over the alleged theft of her own children during a disagreement with her estranged husband.
According to the allegations, the woman was later remanded in a correctional facility, a development that sparked criticism from rights advocates and members of the public.
Responding to the controversy, the Rivers State Police Command said it had commenced an investigation into the matter and taken immediate administrative steps to ensure transparency in the process.
The command's spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko Agabe, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the officer had been withdrawn from his position pending the outcome of the inquiry.
She said Commissioner Adepoju viewed the allegations seriously and reaffirmed the command's resolve to uphold ethical conduct among officers and men of the force.
Agabe noted that the police leadership would not tolerate any action capable of bringing the Force into disrepute or weakening public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
She assured residents that the investigation would be conducted professionally and objectively, adding that appropriate measures would be taken based on the findings of the probe.
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