The the Osun State Police Command has disclosed that it has detained five of its operatives involved in extorting travellers in the state capital on Thursday.
This was made know in a statement issued by the Osun Police Command’s Spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola on Friday, saying following the viral video of the incident, the operatives involved in the unethical incident have been arrested and detained.
Reports revealed that some traditionalists traveling to Osogbo for the Osun-Osogbo festival were flagged by some police operatives on Thursday and forcefully made them to pay the sum of N25,000.
It was learnt that the victims while pleading with the operatives sighted the convoy of the Osun State Assembly Speaker, Adewale Egbedun and stopped.
The Speaker, upon listening to the victims ordeal confronted the police operatives, who pleaded for forgiveness over their action.
In a statement issued by the Speaker’s aide, Olamide Tiamiyu, reads, “was returning from a trip to Ayedire Local Government when some distressed citizens flagged his vehicle to complain on the illicit activities of the men of the Police force for intervention.
“The victims who were traveling for the Osun Osogbo festival scheduled for tomorrow, narrated their ordeal in the hands of the officers. They added that the policemen who refused all pleas to allow them go on their journey, eventually forced the three among them to make a transfer of twenty-five thousand naira each.
“When approached to hear their sides of the story, the leader of the police team confirmed to the Speaker that they collected the quoted amount from the three commuters and pleaded for forgiveness”.
The PPRO in a statement said; “The police Command frowned and condemned the act in totality as the erring police officers are currently in detention since Thursday, and undergoing investigation and eventual disciplinary procedure of orderly room trial for their unprofessional conduct while the senior officer among them has been queried accordingly.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to assure the general public, most especially the good people of Osun State that, he will never condone any act of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct exhibited by any member of the Nigeria Police under his watch”.
