Constable who returned mistakenly transferred N2.6 million meets Borno CP

A police constable in Borno State, Alhaji Muhammad, has return N2.6 million mistakenly transferred to his bank account, adding that the decision was driven by a desire to counter negative public perceptions about the Nigeria Police Force.

Recall that one Bello Jafar, in a Facebook post on Friday, praised the officer for what he described as an uncommon display of honesty and integrity.

Jafar had written, “I would like to formally express my appreciation for Mohammad Alhaji Muhammad, a loyal customer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and a police officer of exceptional integrity.”

According to him, Muhammad received the money in error from a Moniepoint customer but took immediate steps to ensure it was returned to the rightful owner.

Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, told PUNCH Online in a telephone interview on Monday that the state Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajeed, had invited Muhammad for a meeting.

Daso said the constable, who works in the insurance office of the Borno State Police Command, received the credit alert on Thursday but knew he was not expecting such payment.

“When he received the alert on his phone last Thursday, he said he knew he was not expecting any particular money.

“The next day, Friday, first thing in the morning, he took permission and went to his bank to complain that a certain amount of money was sent to him which he was not expecting. He requested that the bank do justice regarding the money,” Daso said.

According to the police spokesperson, the bank later traced the source of the transaction to a UBA branch in Sokoto and contacted the manager.

Muhammad was subsequently issued a consent form authorising the reversal of the funds to the rightful owner.

He added that during his meeting with the commissioner on Monday, the officer detailed the steps he took to ensure the money was returned.

Speaking on what motivated Muhammad’s action, Daso said, “When asked in the meeting with the CP, he said he is a policeman, and he knows the type of negative notion a lot of people have about the police.

“That is why he refused to claim the money because discipline is part of what they were taught in police colleges.”