the police in Enugu State South East Nigeria has vowed to punish officers who allegedly extorted N100,000 from a traveler in the state.

Newslodge earlier reported how the officers allegedly extorted money from the traveller, Ejike Uchenna, on Monday morning along Nsukka-Ugwogo-Enugu road.

The victim, Mr. Uchenna, in a series of posts on his X handle (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday afternoon, had narrated how officers allegedly confiscated his mobile phones and forced him to pay them N100,000 for being in possession of a laptop and two SIM cards in the state.

He said the officers told him that possessing multiple SIM cards in Enugu State was illegal.

But an Enugu lawyer, Olu Omotayo, told Newslodge that there was no law in the state or in Nigeria in general prohibiting residents from possessing multiple SIM cards.

Omotayo, president of the Civil Rights Realization and Advancement Network, said the police officers’ claim was erroneous.

READ ALSO: Police officers extorted N100,000 from me and said it is illegal to possess two SIM cards – Man

“There is no such law in the state or country. Even if such a law existed, it should have been a national law because the issue of telecommunications is regulated by the ICONA. No State has the power to enact any law in this regard,” said the lawyer.

the police speak

Reacting on a post on your X handle On Wednesday night, Enugu State police spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe said he had spoken to the victim and “obtained actionable details” of the incident.

“I also duly informed the Enugu State Commissioner of Police who expressed his displeasure at the act and ordered that the police officers involved be apprehended and dealt with accordingly,” said Mr Ndukwe, Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The police spokesperson assured that “whatever is necessary will be done” because “acts of this nature are never tolerated by the police.”