The Nigeria Police Force has commenced an investigation into allegations that some police officers extorted N40,000 from a motorist in Abuja after stopping him at a checkpoint and allegedly demanding money despite confirming that his vehicle documents were complete.
The development followed a viral video in which the motorist narrated how he was allegedly forced to transfer the money into an account provided by one of the officers.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, confirmed that the complaint was being looked into after responding to the video shared on X by social media influencer Chuks of @ChuksEricE.
“Your complaint is being looked into. I’m in your DM esteemed. We say #NoToImpunity,” Iniedu stated.
The motorist alleged that the incident occurred on August 20, 2026, while he was travelling from Wuye to Utako in Abuja for a business meeting.
According to him, the officers stopped him and examined his vehicle documents, which he said were found to be complete.
He alleged that one of the officers subsequently accused him of using a covered number plate, a claim he strongly disputed, insisting that the plate was clearly visible and could be read.
“I insisted, I said, it is obvious before you that this plate number is open, you can read it. So why are you saying it’s covered?” he said.
The motorist alleged that the officer then ordered him to follow the officers to their office despite his explanation that he was already running late for an important business meeting.
He claimed the officer allegedly took advantage of his urgency and demanded N50,000, before eventually agreeing to N40,000 after negotiations.
“So he took advantage of it, you know, and insisted that I must follow them to the office or I pay him 50,000 Naira,” he alleged.
According to the complainant, one of the officers subsequently entered his vehicle and provided him with the account details of a Point-of-Sale agent into which he was instructed to transfer the money.
“I made a transfer to this account number here of 40,000 Naira,” he said.
The motorist said the financial loss was less concerning to him than the manner in which the money was allegedly demanded and collected.
He further alleged that several other motorists were stopped at the same location and that some of them allegedly made transfers to the officers before being allowed to leave.
“Now, I was there that day, so many people made transfers to these police guys, made transfers to them and they left them,” he alleged.
The complainant identified the location as an area between Wuye and Utako, near Salem Church, and questioned the identity and status of the officers allegedly operating there.
He also raised concerns about the alleged use of an unmarked vehicle and claimed that some of the officers were not wearing proper identification tags.
“I want to know, honestly speaking. If you look at this video that I’m posting here now, you will see that this particular guy without a name tag, operating without a name tag so they don’t catch him, without a tag number and all of that,” he said.
The motorist further questioned whether the officers could have any connection with the former Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, which was disbanded following nationwide protests in October 2020.
“Is it that SARS, as they said that SARS are no longer operating, is it that they changed their name?” he asked.
He alleged that the officers told him they were from “ABATTOIR,” which he claimed was formerly associated with a SARS office.
The complainant said he later returned to the area to document what he described as the alleged extortion operation and confronted the officers.
He called on the police authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and take steps to prevent similar allegations from recurring.
“I know that there are still good policemen out there, but there are still a lot of bad eggs inside of them that are trying to discredit the good efforts of the good ones,” he said.
“This should not be condoned,” he added.
The motorist urged the police leadership to identify and investigate the officers involved, while calling on other motorists who may have experienced similar treatment to speak out.
“This police extortion must stop. It does not make sense. And I’m calling on the Nigerian Police Force to ensure that this does not go unpunished,” he said.
The complainant also appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to intervene, stressing that many alleged victims of police extortion may not have the platform or courage to publicly report such incidents.
“It might just be me speaking up, but there are a lot of people who might not have the kind of platform that I have, that they have extorted,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Police Force had not disclosed the identities, unit or command of the officers allegedly involved. It had also not announced whether any officer had been arrested, suspended or sanctioned over the allegation.
The police response that the complaint was being investigated represents the first official reaction to the allegations contained in the viral video.
The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged N40,000 transfer, identify the officers involved and determine whether the money was unlawfully demanded or collected.
The outcome of the probe will also be expected to clarify the identity of the officers, the unit they belong to, the legitimacy of the checkpoint and whether other motorists were subjected to similar alleged demands.
Until the investigation is concluded, the allegations remain claims by the complainant and have not been independently established.