The Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police Force has pledged to investigate allegations of extortion against officers attached to the Iyamho Police Division in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, following a viral social media post accusing Inspector Joshua Emperor and his team of allegedly extorting ₦410,000 from a citizen identified as Mr. Gabriel.
The allegation, which surfaced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), was raised by a user identified as Edo BabaJ on Sunday. According to the complaint, the incident occurred on October 23, 2026, when Gabriel and his brother were reportedly intercepted by police officers from the Iyamho Division, taken to the station and subjected to harassment and intimidation.
The complainant alleged that upon arriving at the police station, the officers searched both brothers before releasing Gabriel’s sibling while keeping him in custody.
The officers allegedly proceeded to search Gabriel’s mobile phone in an attempt to find incriminating information. However, the complaint claimed that nothing incriminating was discovered on the device.
Despite the alleged absence of incriminating evidence, the officers reportedly pressured Gabriel to admit that he was a cultist.
The complainant described the alleged intimidation and coercion in the social media post, stating that Gabriel eventually agreed to the accusation under pressure from the officers.
“With all the intimidation and harassment and the pressure, now come take agrees he be cultist,” the complaint stated.
The post further alleged that after the purported confession, the officers took Gabriel to a Point of Sale (POS) operator in Iyamho, where he was allegedly forced to withdraw ₦410,000 and hand the money over to them.
According to the complainant, evidence of the alleged extortion, including receipts and video footage showing the cash withdrawal and the collection of the money, was available. Screenshots of the transaction were also reportedly shared alongside the social media post.
The allegations have raised concerns about the conduct of the officers involved and the circumstances under which Gabriel was allegedly detained, searched and pressured to confess to cultism before the money was reportedly collected.
The complainant called on the Edo State Commissioner of Police and the state police command to investigate the incident thoroughly and ensure that any officer found culpable faces appropriate disciplinary action.
The post also urged residents to speak out against police misconduct, particularly allegations of extortion involving officers operating in Etsako West and other parts of Edo State.
“Say no to extortion, police in Etsako don’t want to hear, and police in Edo State don’t want to here,” the complainant wrote.
Responding to the allegations, the Police Complaint Response Unit acknowledged the complaint and urged the affected citizen to contact the unit to enable it to conduct a proper investigation.
The CRU also pledged to investigate the incident and identify the officers allegedly involved in the extortion.
The unit stated that it would “investigate and fish out the officers involved.”
However, the allegations had not been independently established at the time of filing this report, and there was no confirmation that the officers accused had been formally investigated, suspended or sanctioned.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Edo State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Nkereuwem Ikoedem, did not answer calls seeking comments on the allegations.
The incident comes amid persistent concerns over allegations of extortion, unlawful detention, intimidation and abuse of power by some police officers in Nigeria.
Social media platforms have increasingly become channels through which citizens publicise alleged misconduct by law enforcement personnel and call for investigations by police authorities.
The latest allegation places renewed attention on the responsibility of police authorities to investigate complaints against their personnel, establish the facts surrounding reported incidents and ensure accountability where wrongdoing is proven.
The outcome of the CRU’s promised investigation is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged collection of ₦410,000 from Gabriel and whether any of the officers named in the complaint will face disciplinary or other appropriate action.