In Nigeria’s often polarised conversation about policing, stories of officers claiming to have pursued accountability within the system rarely dominate the headlines.
But a senior police officer has now stepped forward with a detailed account of how an investigation she handled spiralled into what she describes as sustained blackmail despite efforts to uncover alleged financial misconduct.
Nkeiruka Nwode, who served as the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPRO) for Zone 13, has defended her role in an investigation involving the alleged withdrawal of over N100 million from the bank account of a detained suspect in Anambra State.
According to Nwode, the matter began on January 21, 2023, when a lawyer, Barrister Nweke, alongside Onyinye Ekwueme, visited her office to report that two brothers, Chibuike and Tochukwu Ekwueme, had been arrested by a Joint Task Force on January 11 but their family had no information about their whereabouts.
The lawyer also alleged that large sums of money were being withdrawn from one of the suspect’s bank accounts without authorisation.
Nwode said she immediately escalated the matter to the then Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Abutu Yaro, who contacted the Anambra State Commissioner of
Police to verify whether the suspect was in police custody. The Commissioner later confirmed that the suspect was indeed being held by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu.
During the subsequent internal inquiry, the officer in charge of the RRS reportedly stated that a serving National Youth Service Corps member, identified as Nnamdi Daniel Emeh, had withdrawn money from the suspect’s account.
Concerned about the reputational implications for the police, Nwode said she began efforts to track down the corps member, who had reportedly gone into hiding.
She later established contact with him via WhatsApp, during which he allegedly claimed that the money was with a police officer.
Further investigation, she explained, traced part of the money to a Bureau De Change operator in Onitsha after bank alerts revealed that N46 million had been transferred into the man’s account in multiple transactions.
The operator was arrested and reportedly told investigators that the funds were transferred at the request of a man identified as Paul Okorie, said to be a personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to the account provided, the funds were later converted into dollars and handed over through a bank staff member.
Nwode said investigators subsequently placed restrictions on Okorie’s bank accounts while attempting to unravel the full chain of transactions.
Despite her involvement in tracing the alleged fraud, the former police spokesperson said she later became the target of what she described as sponsored media attacks aimed at forcing her to abandon the case.
She maintained that the pressure did not deter her from continuing the investigation, adding that she eventually tracked the fleeing corps member to the Benin Republic, where he was arrested and brought back to Nigeria.
Reflecting on the experience, Nwode said her actions were driven by professionalism and a desire to protect the integrity of the police force.
“I deserve commendation and not blackmail,” she stated, arguing that officers who pursue justice within the system should be recognised rather than vilified.
Her statement comes amid renewed debates about accountability, transparency and public trust in Nigeria’s law enforcement institutions.