A Jos resident, known as Michael, expressed his concerns about allegations of cybercrime and extortion by officers from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at the Anglo-Jos Police Division.
In a series of posts on an undisclosed platform, this crypto trader, who opted to protect his identity for security reasons, revealed that the officers raided his estate on a Thursday evening, detaining all the male residents for questioning.
Michael shared a screenshot of two debit transfers made on the following Friday morning, revealing that they were compelled to pay over N500,000 before their release.
Recounting his ordeal to Sunday Special, Michael explained that the officers initially accused them of cybercrimes and armed robbery, resulting in the detention of five out of seven estate residents in a cell.
He stated, "On Thursday evening around 7 pm, these policemen arrived at my estate, claiming to investigate reports of kidnapping activities in the area. However, when we got to the station, their accusations changed, and they accused us of involvement in cybercrimes. They pressured us to provide statements admitting to being either cultists or armed robbers, but we refused without our lawyers. Consequently, we spent the night in the cell, unjustly accused of a crime we had no knowledge of."
"In the morning, we were coerced into paying them a total of N500,000. Since there were seven of us, we split the payment among ourselves. They took us to a Point of Sale, and N100,000 was deducted from my account, with the remaining amount collected from others in the estate."
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, responded by suggesting that Michael report the case to him with supporting evidence, assuring that it would be thoroughly investigated.
He said, "I cannot comment on a case I haven't investigated. I expected him (Michael) to report the case to me instead of turning to social media. We will examine the case, identify the officers involved, and verify the truth of his claims. There is a DPO and officers in Anglo-Jos where the incident took place, so the victims should come to the police headquarters on Monday."
