The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that Inspector Edith Uduma’s dismissal was justified, following allegations of misconduct involving her and her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed.
The PUNCH reported that this decision comes after Uduma allegedly attempted to extort funds from former colleague Sgt. Abraham, who was accused of raping a female suspect while in custody. Sgt. Abraham has also been dismissed from the force.
The command’s spokesperson, Moses Yamu, clarified the details in a statement released on Sunday night.
He explained that the officer on duty, Inspector Uduma, used her position to exploit the situation financially. Instead of alerting the Divisional Police Officer or Incident Duty Officer about the incident, she reportedly conspired with her husband to demand a bribe of N1 million from Sgt. Abraham in exchange for their silence.
According to the statement, “The Edo State Police Command deems it necessary to set the records straight regarding this subject matter. Contrary to reports from certain quarters, the said female police officer, AP/no 228719 Insp. Edith Uduma, was the Charge Room Officer (CRO) on 07/10/2024, the night F/No. 504694 Sgt. Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect in the station.”
Instead of immediately reporting Sgt. Abraham’s actions, Uduma allegedly saw an opportunity for personal gain.
The statement continued, “The female officer, instead of reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer or the Incident Duty Officer as the case may be, for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, AP No. 228652 Insp. Ibrahim Mohammed, whom she conspired with to unlawfully demand the sum of N1m from the sergeant to assist him conceal the matter.”
The extortion attempt reportedly backfired when Sgt. Abraham, unable or unwilling to meet their demand, offered only N45,000.
Dissatisfied with this amount, Uduma and her husband then reported the case to the DPO and shared a video of the incident on social media, which escalated the matter.
Following these events, the command conducted an orderly room trial, which led to the dismissal of both Sgt. Abraham and Inspector Uduma.
As for her husband, Inspector Mohammed, he faced demotion to the rank of sergeant due to his involvement in the attempted cover-up and his role in soliciting a bribe.
The statement concluded with a firm warning from the command, “To this end, the Edo State Police Command warns that no amount of propaganda, disinformation or misinformation can absolve her or the husband from facing the punishment meted out to them.”
Yamu emphasized that those dissatisfied with the verdict retain the right to appeal, as provided under the Police Act and Regulations, underscoring the command’s commitment to accountability within the force.
