Police Arrest Four Officers Over Alleged Land Grabbing Business In Rivers

A combined team of anti- riot police operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested four Policemen at Cedar Wood Estate , SARS Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area for alleged involvement in land grabbing and collection of illegal levy from land developers in the area.
The arrested police officers were accused of fraudulent practices and collaborating with thugs and dispossessing rightful owners of the estate of their buildings and properties before they were arrested on the orders of the State Commissioner of Police last Wednesday .
Our correspondent who monitored the incident disclosed that police officers numbering 60 conveyed in 15 patrol vans drawn from different tactical units of the command raided a building where the policemen normally camped inside the estate, and after the raid , four officers and a Hilux vehicle were taken away by the men of tactical unit who came for the arrest.
Speaking to our reporter, a resident of the area who did not want his name in print disclosed that the arrest was sequel to series of petitions by residents of the area to the Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday and the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba on the illegal activities being perpetrated by the alleged policemen and thugs who worked with them.
He explained that their modus operandi was that ” officers and their collaborators, thugs normally come to site where land owners are developing their land, asked them to pay money ranging from N100,000, and if the person refused to pay, the land developer will be beaten up and his/her fence brought down.”
Another resident also to our correspondent that in some cases, the Officers and their thugs take over the property of the landlord and sell them to another person and decried the sufferings they have gone through the hands of the officers even as
thanked the Commissioner of Police for the arrest of the officers .
When contacted ,the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police command, DSP Grace Iringe _Koko she was yet to be briefed on the matter.

By: Amadi Akujobi