On Wednesday, 10th February 2021, the phone and accessories traders at the G.U.O Plaza, Niger Street phone market, Onitsha, Anambra State, has demonstrated at Fegge Police Division over the alleged incessant police extortion and intimidation of the traders with flimsy accusations.
Mr. Basil Udekwe, the market chief security officer, narrated to the Divisional Crime Officer of Fegge Division, Stephen Odok who represented the DPO, Rabiu Garba, the pattern with which the extortion was done. According to him:
“Some of the policemen who engage in such unholy practice bring some people who just point accusing fingers on any unfortunate trader on sight and they whisk such persons away into detention where hundreds of thousands of naira are exchanged before such victim could breathe the air of freedom.
“One of our genuine members popularly known as Emeka Nnewi is presently in detention over such phony and unfounded allegation of buying stolen phones. Some of them us coughed out between N200, 000 to N500, 000 in the past before regaining freedom unknown to the Divisional Police Officer of the station.”
Added to that, the traders’ lawyer, Margaret Wilcox Iwuchukwu appealed to the police authority to end the alleged extortion before the traders take laws into their hands.
On the police part, the DCO promised that the division would leave no stone unturned in dealing with the perpetrators, and also asked the traders to identify those involved.
