The Imo State Police Command on Friday began an investigation into the allegations of arrests and extortions of students of the Imo State University, IMSU.
The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mike Abattam, disclosed this to Vanguard in Owerri.
Abattam responded to the allegations by the students living in Olive Hostel, IMSU front gate, who alleged that they were arrested by the Police and taken to Shell camp Police Division, on Thursday evening, where they were asked to pay money to be released.
But, the Police image maker said in a preliminary investigation told Vanguard that; “A girl who is accommodated had a face-off with the one who is accomodating her in the process they locked themselves in the room and were fighting each other.
“Other people forced the door open and beat up the other one that is being Squatted. The girl placed a distress call to the police and the police responded to the distress call. After the fight, what next, arrests and they took them to the Police Station.
“Now, the next thing they are saying is that they were extorted. However, the Police commissioner has directed that investigation into the allegation should commence immediately. The students should also be able to identify the person they gave the money.”
However, According to one of the students, who said his name should not be mentioned for security purposes, told Vanguard; “This incident happened on Thursday evening, when the security operatives in black and black with their guns, drove in and stopped in front of our hostel, and told everybody to lie down. They came in three Hilux vehicles.
“When students saw them we started running in the process many of us lost our phones, money and other valuables.
“The security men moved into our hostel and started arresting some of us many of us ran into our rooms and the Police chased us and forced us out from our rooms and ordered us into the security patrol vehicles and took us to the Shell camp Police Station, where some of us were cornered to a place and we paid up to N60,000 to release us.”
He continued: “It was a female student who invited them after fighting with one of her colleagues. She said they Maltreated her and said she was going to revenge for the gang up beaten they gave to her.”