The Nigerian police has said that they have arrested one of their
officers who was caught on camera collecting bribe from a motorist.
PREMIUM TIMES has on Saturday published a story, on the bribe-taking
officer based on the video which was shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The officer has been identified as Onuh Makedomu, a non-commissioned
officer, with Force No.431625, according to a statement issued on
Sunday by the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The statement, signed by the force spokesperson, Frank Mba, said
Makedomu, a sergeant, was attached to 49 PMF but was on special duty
with the Safer Highways Patrol, Lagos, during the incident.
As seen in the four-minute video, Makedomu, apart from demanding and
collecting the bribe from the motorist, went on to lie to his
colleagues that he collected N5,000. He pocketed N10,000 out of the
N15,000 he got from the motorist.
“This one, it is a secret I am trying to tell you,” the officer who
was on the passenger’s seat, besides the driver, said to the motorist
as he began negotiating how to outsmart his fellow cops who were
apparently expecting the bribe.
“You will bring N10,000 out of this money, give to that guy. You hear
me? For there, you go tell them say na N5,000 you give me.”
The motorist counted N10,000 from a wad of N1,000 notes, gave it to
the officer who went on to make a call, apparently to his superior and
pleaded on behalf of the motorist. He lied in the phone conversation
that the motorist gave him N5,000.
“How we go do for this guy, e no even get money!” he said on the phone.
Makedomu wore a police uniform and was holding a rifle during the incident.
Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said in the statement that the
bribe-taking officer has “since been identified and arrested” and that
he was “undergoing Orderly Room trial on a two-count charge of
Discreditable Conduct and Corrupt Practices at the Provost department
of the Lagos State Police Command”.
The statement described the motorist as a “good citizen who
courageously brought the inglorious act of the officer to the public
domain.”
Mba said the Inspector General of Police has asked the motorist to
meet with the police public relations officer, Lagos State Command, to
get back his money.
