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Prominent Benue-based human rights activist Ukan Kurugh has publicly recounted an alleged attempt by officers of the Benue State Police Command in Makurdi to extort nearly one million naira from innocent young men two years ago, describing the incident as a clear case of abuse of power and corruption.
In a detailed post shared on social media, Kurugh explained that the young men returning home from a nightclub were illegally arrested, falsely labeled as internet fraudsters and armed robbers, and accused of terrorizing the city. According to him, the officers fabricated lies under intimidation, threatened prolonged detention, and demanded a large bail sum, turning justice into a marketplace where freedom is sold to the highest bidder.
Kurugh stated that the victims’ elder sister, already struggling to sponsor their university education, gathered school fees and borrowed additional funds to meet the outrageous demand. When she approached him for help and showed the bundled cash, he documented the money and accompanied her to the State Command. He claimed that the moment the officers realized his involvement, they immediately changed tactics refusing the bail they had earlier demanded, returning the boys to detention, and rushing to charge them to court the next day.
Thankfully, a fearless lawyer took up the case after Kurugh briefed him, and justice prevailed when the matter was thrown out in court for being built on nothing but lies. Kurugh asserted that the swift reversal and rush to prosecute revealed the officers’ fear of exposure and accountability.
He maintained that such actions stem from his consistent exposure of what he described as “dirty operations” within the command, adding that this incident is just one of many. Kurugh vowed not to be silenced, intimidated, or worn down, declaring his resolve to continue exposing corruption in the police “no matter whose ox is gored.”
“The uniform is meant to protect the people, not to terrorize them,” he wrote. “Any officer who chooses the path of oppression should be ready to face public accountability.”
While acknowledging the existence of good, responsible, and honorable officers within the Benue State Police Command whom he respects, Kurugh emphasized that some individuals have turned the badge into a tool of extortion, cruelty, and injustice, making them a disgrace to the force and a danger to society.
He urged the public to stay alert, informed, and unafraid to speak out, reminding citizens that not every smile behind a uniform is genuine. Kurugh concluded by affirming that the people are watching, the truth is louder than intimidation, and accountability must prevail.
No official response has been received from the Benue State Police Command regarding the allegations at the time of this report.
