Allegation: Angry Benue youths accuse police of demanding N10m bribe

macfranc007 February 08, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Onyirioha Nnamdi

- A group of angry Benue youths protest the alleged demand for a bribe of N10m by the police from the chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Services (BIRS), Mimi Adzape-Orubibi

- The protest of the youths causes serious traffic jam on the Makurdi-Gboko road

- Fatai Owoseni, the Benue state police commissioner denies the claim that any of his personnels collected money from anyone

More than 2,000 youths, on Wednesday, February 7, took over Makurdi-Gboko road, protesting the alleged demand of N10 million bribe from, and assaulting of the chairman of Benue Internal Revenue Services, (BIRS) Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, by a police squad.

The protesting youths, carrying various placard, chanted war songs. Their activities caused gridlock traffic on the road for hours, Vanguard reports.

However, the BIRS chairman and Fatai Owoseni, the Benue state police commissioner calmed the angry youths, who came on the platform of Coalition of the Harmonised Civil Society Organisation in Nigeria.

Adzape-Orubibi urged the youths to refrain from any action that can increase the widespread tension triggered by herdsmen-farmers clashes in the state.

She stated: “The police is handling the matter and I know that justice will be done, given the correspondence we have had with the police.” The police commissioner denied the claim that the inspector general of police directed personnels to collect money from government establishments. Owoseni said: “I can assure you that those involved in the said matter have already been moved to Abuja for questioning.”

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Timothy Hembor, the leader of the youths and president general of Tiv youths organisation, remarked: “We are here to cry, shout, wail, grumble show solidarity and, if need be, die until Mr. President directs an investigation into the allegation of assault on the Chairman of BIRS and the total takeover of revenue collection by the Police X-Squad in the state.”

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday, January 31, imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Gboko area of the state.

Ortom approved the curfew following a recent killing of seven people by some youths in the town. The Benue state commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, while briefing journalists said the victims were travelling either to Okene in Kogi state or Taraba state when the hoodlums attacked them.

APC chieftains in Benue state say PDP has nothing to offer on NAIJ.com TV