The Taraba State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has commended 4 mobile police officers for refusing an N8.5 million bribe from a suspected bandit.
The officers were on a routine stop and search operation when they arrested the suspected bandit and subsequently rejected the bribe he offered them.
The State Commissioner of Police, David Iloyalonomo, personally recognized and rewarded the officers at the Taraba State Police Command Headquarters.
During an interaction with journalists at the checkpoint, one of the officers involved in the arrest, Ngamarju Gambo, explained that their commitment to fighting corruption and maintaining peace in the country motivated them to reject the bribe.
He added that they made it clear to the suspect that engaging in corrupt practices was not in line with the values of the Nigeria Police Force.
Iloyalonomo expressed his intention to recommend the officers to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for potential promotion and national recognition due to their exemplary conduct.
He identified the four mobile police officers as Inspr Difference Tih AP/NO 362424, Inspr Ngamarju Gambo AP/NO 362385, Inspr Usman Haruna AP/NO 246517 and Cpl Zarudeen Mamuda F/NO 517199
The officers, while on patrol duty, intercepted a Toyota Starlet ash in colour with registration number YLA 321 ZY carrying three passengers,” Channels Television quoted the CP saying.
He added: “The officers, with their professional intuition, suspected without an iota of doubt the occupants of the vehicle, and upon questioning, the occupants could not give a satisfactory account of themselves.
“They were, therefore, ordered to alight from the vehicle, during which two of the passengers took to their heels and headed towards the nearby mountains, while one suspect was effectively restrained and arrested.
A search was conducted in the vehicle, and the sum of eight million five hundred and fifty-five thousand nairas was recovered.
“The suspect offered the whole amount of money as a bribe for his freedom but was rejected by the good ambassadors of the Nigeria Police Force.”
The suspect, along with his accomplices, has been actively assisting the police in an ongoing investigation into a series of past kidnappings.
The police commissioner emphasized that once the investigations are concluded, the suspect and his associates will face charges in court for multiple offences, such as kidnapping, banditry, and attempting to bribe a law enforcement officer.