A retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Chief Sunny Anyanwu, has questioned the role of the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the alleged payment of ₦53,000 to four police officers in Abuja, insisting that both the alleged giver and receivers of the money should be investigated and prosecuted.
Anyanwu said the matter should not end with only the police officers being blamed, arguing that Nigerians should first establish the circumstances that led to the alleged payment.
“Nigerians should ask what offence the officers accused the ICPC Chairman of committing. Did they threaten to take him to the station? If they did, why didn’t he insist on going there instead of allegedly giving them money?” he said.
He argued that the ICPC Chairman, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), could not have been extorted.
“Nobody can extort the ICPC Chairman. He willingly gave them the money. The incident has embarrassed the ICPC, the police, the Inspector General of Police, President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria,” Anyanwu said.
The retired officer urged the Nigeria Police Force to clearly distinguish between bribery and extortion, stressing that both giving and receiving bribes are criminal offences.
“Throughout my 35 years in the police, I was taught that both the giver and the receiver of a bribe are offenders,” he said.
Anyanwu added that if the ICPC Chairman believed the officers were demanding a bribe, he should have alerted the Inspector General of Police or the Commissioner of Police to enable a sting operation using marked money.
“If I were the Inspector General of Police, I would charge both the ICPC Chairman and the four officers to court and allow the judiciary to determine the case. Nigerians must stop giving money to police officers, whether the demand is legal or illegal,” he added.
He maintained that his position is based on the provisions of the Criminal Code.