₦2.5m Extortion Scandal: Delta CP Shields Senior Officers, Detains Only Constable Despite Indicting Evidence

By Robo Bare
The Delta State Commissioner of Police (CP), Aina Adesola, is facing growing criticism over what appears to be a selective enforcement of discipline in an alleged ₦2.5 million extortion case involving officers of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Jesse Division in Ethiope West LGA of Delta State.

Despite a police statement that explicitly names at least three officers including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) as alleged participants in the extortion, the CP ordered the detention of only one junior officer, raising serious questions about internal accountability, hierarchy protection, and sincerity of police reform claims.

A Video, Three Named Officers, One Detention
The controversy erupted following a viral video in which a woman accused police officers of extorting ₦2.5 million from her in exchange for the release of her younger brother from custody, arrested for cultism related offense.

In an official statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, the Delta State Police Command confirmed that the allegation named:
Constable Bright,
Another officer identified as Usman (also referenced as Desmond), and
The DPO of Jesse Division, CSP Chidi Nwabuzor.
However, after “a careful examination of the video clip,” the CP ordered the detention of only Constable Bright, while the DPO despite being mentioned in the same allegation was merely removed from his post and redeployed to the command headquarters, pending investigation.

Police Statement Contradicts Police Action
The police statement itself presents a contradiction that has now become central to public concern.
On one hand, the command acknowledges that three officers were accused of extortion. On the other, disciplinary action was unevenly applied, with detention reserved for a junior officer and administrative redeployment for a senior officer.
More troubling is the command’s admission that the removal of CSP Nwabuzor was “in response to a series of complaints of extortion and unprofessionalism from different quarters.”
Yet, despite this admission, the DPO was neither detained nor suspended.

The Arrest That Triggered the Allegation
According to investigation, the incident began on January 1, 2026, when the youth leader of Jesse community arrested some suspects and handed them over to the police.
Among those arrested was Israel Onojeruo, aged 20, identified as the younger brother of the woman in the said viral video.
Police said Israel was arrested based on the confession of another suspect, Okoro Desmond, who allegedly claimed to have sold a gun to him. The suspects were later transferred to the State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU) for further investigation.

It was during this period, the woman alleged, that police officers demanded and collected ₦2.5 million with the promise of securing her brother’s release.

Selective Accountability and Rank Privilege?
Legal analysts and civil society observers hinted that the handling of the case reflects a pattern of rank-based accountability, where junior officers often bear the brunt of disciplinary measures while senior officers are shielded.

The redeployment of a DPO accused of extortion to the same headquarters where the CP works has been described as administrative protection rather than disciplinary restraint, especially in a case involving alleged financial crime.

Critics argue that if detention is considered necessary to prevent interference with investigations, the same logic should apply uniformly to all officers accused in the same incident.

Police Assurance vs Public Skepticism
The police command insisted that the investigation, now assigned to the AC X-Squad, will be thorough and impartial, promising decisive punishment if wrongdoing is established.
However, public skepticism remains high, particularly in light of repeated national outcries over police extortion and abuse of power issues that have persisted despite reforms promised after the #EndSARS protests.

A Test Case for Police Reform
According to members of public who spoke to our reporter stressed that this case has now become more than an allegation of extortion; it is a test of institutional integrity within the Delta State Police Command.
The central question is no longer whether an investigation has been ordered, but whether justice will be applied evenly, transparently, and without regard to rank.

Until all officers named in the allegation are subjected to the same level of scrutiny and restraint, critics opined the force risks reinforcing the very culture of impunity that police reforms were meant to dismantle.

Police PRO Mute

Several calls and Short message Service sent to Mr. Edafe Bright were not responded to.

Our reporter intend to know the rationale from the Command PPRO in a bid to obtain comments from him on why trio Police officers of the Command was accused of same offense but the junior officer among was detained while the ranky officer walk freely after being given administrative protection by way of redeployment but all efforts was abortive.