Sgt. Ekpo Shimuyere, a police officer attached to the Sogunle Division in Lagos, has been dismissed from the force following an incident of extortion where he collected N98,000 from a young man.
The spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this development to the press, stating that the sergeant had been stripped of his rank by the Provost Department.
According to Hundeyin, Sgt. Shimuyere confiscated the victim's phone and proceeded to use a Point of Sale (POS) operator to transfer N98,000 out of the young man's bank account, which had a total of N100,000. The spokesperson emphasized that such actions were in direct violation of the professional ethics expected of police officers.
Upon receiving the complaint from the victim, the police initiated an investigation.
Initially, the sergeant denied any involvement in the crime. To preserve the evidence, he was placed under detention.
The police obtained the sergeant's bank statement by writing to his bank, successfully tracing the money to the POS operator who facilitated the transfer to the officer's account. The victim and the operator were both interviewed during the investigation, with the operator confirming that the officer had instructed him to transfer the funds from the victim's account.
Following due process, the sergeant faced an Orderly Room trial in accordance with existing laws.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, reviewed the proceedings and approved the punishment of dismissal from the force for Sgt. Shimuyere, whose Force Number is 461654 and who was attached to the Sogunle Police Division.
SP Benjamin Hundeyin emphasized that this dismissal should serve as a warning to other officers, stressing the zero-tolerance policy towards corruption within the Lagos State Police Command.
The commissioner aims to deter any form of misconduct and ensure the integrity of the police force.
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