Alleged: Tell DPO "B" Division Warri to return #200,000 extorted from Victim in Delta, CDHR tells IGP Egbetokun

The Delta State Chairman, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Comrade (Elder) A.P. Edariese on Sunday urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to prevail on the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda to call on the Divisional Police Officer, DPO "B" Division to return the sum of two hundred and forty thousand naira(240,000) allegedly extorted from one Godstime Edesiri, an indigene of Oginibo Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. 

Comrade Edariese made the call at a press conference held in Udu Local Government Area. 

The human right activist is also demanding the release of the young man's Redmi AX3 mobile phone they seized from him in other to force him to pay another another one hundred thousand naira as mobilization of policemen to Oginibo when they came for his arrest. 

"I am also calling on the CP Delta State to take steps to call the DPO to order because he is making plans to charge this boy to court on Monday January 13 which CDHR will resist."

Comrade Edariese said, "If my call is not heed, I will write to the Police Service Commission,PSC to sack the DPO and whosoever is involved in "B" Division Warri."

Comrade Edariese who reported a case of alleged oppression , extortion, deprivation and threat to further arrest the said Godstime Edesiri who is resident narrated how the matter occurred.

According to him,"On the 3rd of December,2024 the young man in his village had encounter with the police and he was arrested for an offence he doesn't know anything about. 

"They took him to their division and forced him to and collected #240,000 from him as bail money. They said out of the #240,000, #200,000 is for an alleged complainant to them. 

"That the complainant reported a case of her phone being stolen and the thieves used the phone to withdraw #200,000 from his account. 

"The #200,000 withdrawn from his account they traced it to the young man's account in far away Oginibo village without investigating this matter.  They went further to collect #40,000 before they released him on bail and seized the phone with which the boy is doing his POS business and the Phone is with the DPO and the officer till today as I am speaking.

"They now said the supposed complainant mobilized them with #150,000 that this young man should pay the money. That they also want to return it to the woman. 

"The young man pleaded that he doesn't have money that he wasn't involved in the offence. Based on that one, they seized his Redmi AX3 phone and they said until he bring #100,000 they will not release the phone to him. 

"So, from 3rd of December, 2024 till today which is more than a month, the DPO and his officers are holding the phone of this young man, holding his #200,000, holding his #40,000. Now, they're threatening to charge him to court for no offence . 

"This report was brought to me as Delta State CDHR Chairman since 2nd of January and I stepped into it. I sent my officers to the division to appeal to them to resolve the matter and let this young man have his money and phone. The DPO block every efforts for us to get solution for the young man. 

"On Monday January 6, I personally led a team of leaders of CDHR to meet the DPO to prevail on him to release this boy's phone to stop further threat to arrest. The DPO bluff me. I am 78yrs old. The DPO look at me so common and he escaped from me having a meeting with him for the whole day. Towards 5pm he threatened to charge the young man to court to intimidate him to become subservient.

"This is a battle of abuse of office by the DPO, extortion in the highest order, stealing by trick because if the boy cannot pay that #100,000 his phone has become the police phone."

Comrade Edariese said the Police did not have any statement from the alleged complainant neither did they have any bank statement showing proof that the said sum of stolen money they claimed, was credited into Godstime Edesiri account. 

Comrade Edariese said Godstime Edesiri will not honour the invitation of the Police tomorrow, Monday January as he appealed for protection for the young man. 

In a chat with Our Correspondent the twenty three(23) year old the said Godstime Edesiri, he denied committing any offence that warranted him being arrested by the Police. 

"I did not commit any offence that made the police come for me. "

The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe is yet to reply a text message sent to him on this matter and to the Police side of the story.