Beer parlour operators in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State have petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Hassan, over alleged extortion and intimidation by the Divisional Police Officer in the area, SP Aliyu Adamu.
The operators made the allegation during a protest in Sengere on Thursday, claiming that personnel attached to the Girei Police Division had shut their businesses and demanded various sums of money from them.
According to the operators, some of the affected business owners were allegedly asked to pay between N40,000 and N100,000 or more to regain access to their premises, without being told the specific offences they had committed.
One of the operators, Mrs Agnes Paul, told Arewa Punch that she was invited to the Girei Police Station after receiving a telephone call from the police.
Paul alleged that when she arrived at the station, the DPO informed her that she was expected to pay N40,000 because she operated a beer parlour.
She said she pleaded with the police and the amount was eventually reduced to N20,000, adding that she was not informed of any specific offence that warranted the payment.
The woman further alleged that a police officer cautioned her against taking the matter to court, claiming she was threatened with prolonged detention if she reported the incident.
Her husband, who gave his name as Bidemi and identified himself as an electronic engineer, said he contacted two lawyers after his wife told him she had paid N20,000 before being released.
Other operators appealed to the Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegations against the Girei DPO, warning that failure to address their complaints could heighten tension and create a crisis in the community.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Adamawa State Police Command were unsuccessful as its spokesperson, SP Suleiman Nguroje, reportedly did not respond to telephone calls and WhatsApp messages sent to him before the report was filed.
The allegations come about a month after the DPO of the Jambutu Division in Yola North Local Government Area was removed by the Commissioner of Police following a petition by residents accusing the officer of large-scale extortion.