Security authorities in Imo State have arrested all Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel implicated in a viral video allegedly showing extortion and misconduct along the Obowo axis.
The officers, who were part of a joint security patrol in the area, are currently in detention as investigations continue.
Imo Police spokesperson Henry Okoye stated that once the probe is concluded, the personnel will be handed over to their respective security agencies for appropriate disciplinary action, in accordance with established procedures.
The arrests came after public outrage erupted following the circulation of a video showing uniformed officers allegedly harassing and extorting civilians at 7 and a Half Amanze Junction, Obowo.
The footage was shared by a whistleblower who accused the operatives of acting like criminals while disguised as law enforcement officers.
In his account, the whistleblower detailed multiple incidents allegedly captured in the videos. He claimed that officers were seen stopping young men, forcing them to hand over their phones and checking private content, including banking applications.
In another clip, an officer was allegedly filmed inside a Hilux vehicle while confiscating a traveller’s laptop during a roadside check. A separate recording reportedly captured an officer asking a colleague to confirm money allegedly extorted from a victim.
Describing the situation, the whistleblower said:
“Some of the footage from 7 and half Amanze Junction, Obowo, Imo State, where criminals disguising as officers operate.
An officer in the back of a van with several young boys standing. He’s going through their phones one by one, even opening banking apps. That is criminal and illegal.
An officer inside a Hilux seized a traveler’s laptop while checking papers. What legal right does any officer have to stop a traveler and confiscate a personal laptop?
An officer asking the one inside the van to confirm the money he extorted from a traveler. In his exact words: ‘You don confirm the money?’
