This archive report was first published on 14 May 2020.
Nigerian Music Mogul E-Money Faces Probe Over Police Escort Abuse ¶
Emeka Okonkwo, a Nigerian music executive known as E-Money, has been at the center of controversy in West Africa after police escorts were withdrawn from his entourage due to alleged misuse.
According to reports, E-Money, who is a brother to Nigerian music star Kcee, was summoned to the Lagos police headquarters on May 12, 2020, and grilled for six hours at the Monitoring Department.
He was released on bail and ordered to report back at the headquarters on May 13, 2020, for further questioning.
"E-Money visited the Force HQ annex today and met with police detectives and was grilled for about six hours. He came along with two others and responded to many questions. Somebody took his bail and he was allowed to leave and return on Wednesday for more questioning," a report by Punch read in part.
A top police officer revealed that the policemen attached to E-Money will also be interrogated.
"The policemen were discovered to be attached to B Operations at the command headquarters and not MOPOL, which is the usual practice. So, we have withdrawn his policemen and we are inviting him for questioning. The policemen will also be interrogated," the officer was quoted saying.
Confirming the news of the withdrawal, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, noted that the probe was ongoing.
Former National Coordinator of Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria, Okechukwu Nwanguma, has called out the police's top brass over the issue.
"Senior police officers, especially those in command positions, assign these officers to 'big men' (including those with questionable characters or whose means of livelihood are undefined) for their personal aggrandizement. The money paid goes into their private pockets," Nwanguma said.
