By Charles Pemu 
A senior police officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba, Lagos, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) John Alabi, has been accused of extortion and inhumane treatment by a Lagos-based businesswoman, Mrs. Nnoma Ugochukwu Nze.
According to two petitions addressed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and dated October 21, 2024, and January 6, 2025, Nze alleged that she was tortured, detained unlawfully, and compelled to transfer ₦13 million to third parties acting in collusion with ASP Alabi under the pretext of debt recovery.
The petitions, submitted through her legal counsel, Goddy Ezimoha & Co, claim that Nze was unlawfully detained for nearly a month following a complaint lodged against her in July 2024 by Prophetess Chidinma Nwayima, who alleged that she had been defrauded of ₦100 million over a five-year period.
During her detention, Nze claimed ASP Alabi obtained a questionable court order to prolong her custody and subsequently forced her to reveal her bank details. On July 26, 2024, she was allegedly coerced into transferring ₦9 million from her son’s Zenith Bank account to an unidentified third party. A few days later, on July 31, she reportedly transferred another ₦4 million from her United Bank for Africa (UBA) account to a separate account at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
Despite the transfers, Nze said she was returned to the cell, where officers allegedly told her she would not be released until the full ₦100 million was recovered.
Her lawyers described the actions as “brutal, crude, wicked, and corrupt,” accusing Alabi and an accomplice, identified as one Ms. Tope, of orchestrating the illicit transactions and disguising them as rent payments in order to permanently convert the funds.
The petition further stated that the transfers were falsely labelled as rent, despite the fact that Nze had paid her actual rent earlier in the year on June 5, 2024, covering the period from June 15, 2024, to May 31, 2025.
Nze was eventually arraigned before Magistrate Court 9 in Ebute Metta on August 6, 2024, but her legal team pointed out that the ₦13 million allegedly extorted was neither listed in the charge sheet nor submitted as an exhibit in court.
They are demanding the immediate return of the funds and disciplinary action against ASP Alabi and his alleged co-conspirators.
When contacted, ASP Alabi declined to comment, referring inquiries to the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson.
Responding to the media, Lagos Command spokesperson SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the receipt of the petitions but denied any wrongdoing by the officer or the police. He stated that the case had been reviewed by multiple authorities, including Zone 2 and the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) in Abuja, with no evidence of misconduct found.
“This case has been reported at the Lagos State Police Command, Zone 2, and the Complaint Response Unit in Abuja. In all these places, no evidence of foul play was found,” Hundeyin said. “The Command will not succumb to media pressure but will continue to uphold best practices in its investigations.”
The matter remains under public scrutiny as civil rights groups call for a more transparent investigation.