Police deny N1m bail bribery accusation in Abia

The Abia State Police Command has refuted claims circulating on social media that officers from the Aba Area Command demanded N100,000 in bail from ten suspects. This clarification was issued in a statement by Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, on Tuesday.

The command explained that the allegation originated from a social media blogger who asserted that an officer had requested the bail money from each suspect. The statement noted, “The Abia State Police Command has been inundated with a trending allegation from a social media blogger, accusing an officer in Aba of extorting ₦100,000 from 10 suspects arrested on October 4, 2024.”

According to the police, an initial investigation revealed that on October 3, 2024, the Aba Area Command received a written complaint from the management of Life Stock Feed PLC in Aba. The complaint alleged that several employees had misappropriated significant funds and stolen production materials from the company. Following this complaint, suspects connected to the incident were taken into custody for further investigation.

The statement indicated that the individual behind the viral allegation, Samuel Okoye, sought bail for three of the suspects but did not comply with police requests for him to come in after making the extortion claims. “Mr. Samuel Okoye, the complainant in the viral post, came to secure bail for three arrested suspects. The investigating officer denied the bail request, stating that the investigation was still in progress. Mr. Okoye reportedly became upset and threatened the investigating officer.”

The police noted that they had invited Okoye for questioning, but he refused to attend, later claiming that his allegations were made in anger and that he now wished to retract them. Additionally, one of the arrested suspects confessed that some colleagues were involved in defrauding the company, admitting he had advised them to stop but had not reported the misconduct.

The command expressed discontent with the defamatory claims and reiterated its commitment to addressing any unprofessional behavior among its officers. They encouraged the public to verify information before sharing it online. “While the command will not tolerate any form of unprofessional conduct or corruption, we will not accept defamatory actions aimed at tarnishing the image of the police force. The public is urged to ensure the accuracy of information prior to posting, as any defamatory statements against the command will be met with appropriate legal measures,” the statement concluded.