Man arrested for accusing police chief of collecting N4.2m bribe

A social critic, Justice Ozobi, who accused the commissioner of police in Ebonyi State of collecting N4.2 million bribe, has been arrested.

The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, announced this in a statement on Friday.

Bribery allegations

In a post on his Facebook page on 31 August, Mr Ozobi, who is based in Anambra State, claimed the commissioner of police in Ebonyi State collected N700,000 each from six different families – totalling N4.2 million – to release their arrested sons.

The social critic claimed the suspects were arrested in connection with a land dispute involving some villagers and Sunday Oketa, the traditional ruler of Oroko Onuoha Community in Abakiliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

He further alleged that operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department released the arrested suspects after the families made the payments, but later rearrested and arraigned them before a court.

Arrest

In the Friday’s statement, Mr Ukandu, a superintendent of police, recalled that the police command in Ebonyi earlier denied the allegations against the commissioner.

The spokesperson said Mr Ozobi was arrested in Anambra State and subsequently moved to Ebonyi State for investigation over the accusation.

Mr Ukandu noted that the social critic had used a photograph of a former Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, which he said “subjected the retired senior police officer to unwarranted public ridicule and embarrassment.”

PREMIUM TIMES reports that Mr Ozobi had, in a separate post, acknowledged that his use of the former commissioner’s photograph was improper, pointing out that he had removed it from the previous post.

He, however, insisted that he stood by his bribery allegations against the police.

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Freedom of expression vs deliberate falsehood

Mr Ukandu stressed that while the police in the state respect citizens’ right to freedom of expression, they would “not tolerate the deliberate dissemination of false, malicious or defamatory information calculated to tarnish the image of the command and the Force at large.”

The spokesperson urged Nigerians to verify information before disseminating it and to channel genuine complaints through appropriate authorities for prompt and impartial investigation.

“The Command remains committed to accountability and will continue to hold its officers to the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and ethical conduct,” he said.