The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has removed six Commanding Officers (COs) of the Nigeria Police Force Mobile Personnel (MOPOL) and Operations units attached to TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over allegations of orchestrating a systematic extortion scheme targeting officers under their command.
According to SaharaReporters, the officers were quietly removed last week after a police investigative panel reportedly indicted them for allegedly collecting ₦70,000 monthly from personnel deployed to protect the multinational oil company’s facilities.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the disciplinary action followed an earlier report exposing alleged extortion, abuse of office and poor welfare conditions within the special duty deployment.
One source disclosed that investigators initially faced resistance because many affected officers were afraid to speak openly during the probe.
“Following SaharaReporters’ publication, the IGP constituted a panel from Abuja to investigate the high-profile extortion allegations. Because of unforeseen circumstances, the affected personnel initially denied the extortion during the panel’s visit. But after the investigators returned to Abuja, some of the officers quietly submitted documentary evidence proving the extortion,” the source said.
According to the source, the evidence prompted the Force Headquarters to remove all six commanding officers and replace them with new commanders.
The source further alleged that officers who were used to collect the money on behalf of the commanders have been recommended for prosecution.
“Last week the six commanding officers were removed and replaced, while officers they used in collecting the extortion money were recommended for trial,” the source added.
It was also alleged that the removed commanders are lobbying to prevent the prosecution of those involved and may eventually be redeployed from MOPOL to conventional police duties in various state commands.
Earlier reports alleged that after TotalEnergies approved an increase in special duty allowances, officers began receiving ₦220,000 monthly. However, they claimed their commanders immediately ordered every officer to return ₦70,000 from the allowance or risk being removed from the deployment.
The affected personnel said they complied under pressure to avoid redeployment.
Beyond the alleged monthly deductions, the officers also accused the commanders of placing their own names on TotalEnergies’ operational payroll despite not participating in field operations.
They further alleged poor welfare conditions, claiming they received no medical coverage, no overtime allowance and inadequate feeding while providing armed security for critical national infrastructure.
Some officers also claimed that similar practices exist in police deployments to several Chinese companies operating in Nigeria, alleging that although companies reportedly pay about ₦270,000 monthly per deployed officer, personnel allegedly receive only about ₦50,000 every two months, with the balance diverted through the police command structure.
The officers called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of MOPOL to overhaul the special duty deployment system to protect personnel from exploitation.
As of the time of the report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official response to the allegations…..See more