Police kick as Edo vigilante group accuses officers of ‘selling illicit drugs’

The Edo police command has kicked against the accusation by the state vigilante security network, that two of its officers were arrested for allegedly selling illicit drugs.

In a video that appeared on social media on Thursday, two men identified as police officers were handcuffed by the vigilante group.

As seen in the video, some packages containing substances appearing to be illicit drugs were brought out of a bag alleged to belong to the police officers.

Some officials of the vigilante group could be heard in the video alleging that the two policemen were into illicit drug distribution.

During the search, an official of the vigilante group brought out an item from the bag and asked one of the police officers about the ownership of the item.

The police officer responded: “It’s for me. I collected it as exhibit. I’m a police officer.”

Reacting to the development when contacted by TheCable on Thursday, Kontongs Bello, police spokesperson in the state, said the incident is an “intentional act to defame the image” of the command.

Bello claimed that the arrested police officers were “framed” by the vigilante group, adding that the illicit drugs allegedly found with the officers do not belong to them.

The spokesperson added that the officers went to the area to rescue someone who was arrested by the vigilante group.

“That is an international act to defame the image of the Nigeria Police Force, Edo state command,” he said.

“Because the police officers have now gone to see the illegal duties they are doing — arresting somebody and detaining them — that is why they started acting that manner.

“The car is not their own. We are still trying to investigate the contents of that car, whether it was planted there or if it is the owner of the car that has those things there. It cannot be the police.

“We have warned vigilantes now to stop handcuffing people and detaining people. No detention facilities will be there again. Any vigilante that does that will be arrested. The officers were framed.”

NB: This story is published in partnership with Report for the World, a global service program that supports local public interest journalism.

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