Lagos state police on Saturday warned point-of-sale (POS) operators not to use their trade to promote extortion in police stations and other areas.
Command spokesman, benjamin hundeyinhe gave the warning on his Twitter account, which is monitored by the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).
Hundeyin, a police superintendent, said the warning was part of the directives from the Force headquarters, Abuja, against extortion and corruption in some police formations.
“It has been observed over time that some roaming POS operators specialize in hanging out at police stations. Investigations reveal that their target clients are innocent Nigerians who are being extorted by some die-hard policemen.
“Their presence at the stations has greatly facilitated the game of extortion.
“While the Force is continually purged of these bad officers, it has become imperative that the activities of POS operators around police stations be regulated.
ALSO READ: How I use online app to defraud POS operators – Suspicious
“Some of them have been identified as facilitators of extortion. This regulation is in line with our mandate to not only detect, but also prevent crime,” he said.
Mr. Hundeyin warned that POS operators found to have knowingly allowed extortion with the police in any area would be treated as complicit.
Unconfirmed sources told NAN that some POS operators were arrested near some police stations in Lagos, but were released after some DPOs warned them to stay away. (YAYA)