Abia: How sacked police officers, catchers are ripping off residents at Aba Area Command

AFNEWS reports that many sacked police officers and several impostors (catchers) recruited by some senior officers are arresting and swindling residents with covid-19 lockdown directives of the Abia State government.

Thorough investigation revealed that some of these dismissed officers who have been sacked for over three-five years still surprisingly have accommodations within the Aba Area Command Barracks.

It was also gathered that they are supported by some eligible senior officers who provide them with materials such as handcuffs, combats, police T-shirts and teargas to carry out their dirty dealings.

Some concerned police officers who chose anonymity told our reporter that the dismissed officers and their collaborating impostors have completely destroyed what is left of the image of Abia State Police Command.

According to one of the concerned police officers, "Before the covid-19 pandemic, they've been operating in areas like Omuma road, Uratta, Ogbor-Hill, Amaukwu and other suburbs where motorcyclist still ply for commercials purposes.

"They are encouraged by some top police officers within the Area Command and the Aba CPS to be molesting, harassing people and returning money to them. Some of the catchers unbelievably work under Aba Area Command Headquarters Anti Robbery.

"Initially they were involved in catching people whom they claimed were moving on the road at late night hours, commercial motorcyclists from those areas where motorcycles still ply. They'll bring their motorcycles to the station, swindle them and give returns to their promoters.

"However, the coronavirus lockdown and directives provided huge swindling opportunities for these people as they move out on rented vehicles, pretending to be police officers working in collaboration with Abia Covid-19 Task Force. Meanwhile they're not.

"They were impounding buses, tricycles and even private vehicles, recklessly with offence and no offence swindling owners using the name of Abia State Covi-19 Task Force and Police.

"Some weeks ago when the state Governor announced that movement will continue until 2pm on Sunday, these catchers and their cohorts were arresting tricycle and bus riders by 1pm. Some they arrested by 1:30pm and delayed them till 2pm just to see what to tag as their offence.

"I know most of the transporters didn't obey the directives, but those arresting, swindling and manhandling them are on illegal duties."

Another police source said that the fraudulent activities were made possible through the support of some top ranking police officers in Aba Area Command and the CPS, Aba who appear too powerful.

"Their fraud is successful because some senior officers are behind their activities, shielding and using them. They're now using the both Area Command and CPS as market square ignoring the main reason why we were all employed.

"They're so clever that whenever they impound a vehicle or tricycle, they'll keep some of their cohorts at the two main entrances of the two stations to monitor when the owners will come.

"These their members will pretend to be a police officer who wants to help the person whose tricycle or bus were impounded and take the person to a place where he'll meet them for negotiation.

"The ironical part of these their fraud is that the owner of the bus or tricycle will unknowingly later settle the man who saw him at the gate with another money thinking he was being friendly to him. These activities are causing some of us pains.

"Many persons are not happy about what's happening here. These people beat innocent civilians, injure them and most times do unspeakable things here and nobody wants to put their evil to an end. We believe the press can help expose this for higher authorities to know.

"Should serious secret investigation take place here, they'll discover that many people called police officers in Aba Area Command and CPS are impostors while some others have already been dismissed from service for one offence or the other."

Abia Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede reminded that she was new in the state and said she was not aware of anything like that and promised to investigate the matter.

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