The Nigeria Police Force has suffered severe criticism over the extra judicial killing of an unarmed suspect in Delta State.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, sparked outrage after a disturbing video surfaced online on Tuesday showing the moment the restrained suspect was shot.
In the video, the victim identified as Mene Ogidi is seen sitting on the ground with his hands tied behind his back before the officer, dressed in plain clothes, opens fire at close range.
Police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, confirmed the development, stating that the officer has been transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary actions.
Force Public Relations Officer Anthony Placid said preliminary findings revealed that the suspect had been apprehended by members of a transport union at Benin Motor Park along the Warri–Sapele Expressway.
Ogidi was reportedly intercepted while attempting to waybill a parcel allegedly containing a Beretta pistol loaded with four rounds of ammunition.
According to Placid, officers were in the process of taking the suspect into custody when ASP Nuhu discharged his firearm, in what authorities described as a clear violation of police regulations.
The Nigeria Police Force has since ordered the immediate transfer of the officer and his team to Abuja, where they will face the Force Disciplinary Committee and possible prosecution.
The inspector general of police expressed condolences to the victim’s family, assuring that justice would be pursued in line with the law.
He also reiterated the force’s zero-tolerance stance on extra-judicial killings, abuse of authority, and misconduct that erodes public trust.
The incident has attracted condemnation from well-meaning Nigerians, with many berating the police over over their unprofessional act.
Describing the incident as “unacceptable,” Hungbeme Moses, in a comment on social media, said, “This is unacceptable!
“Those police officers should be arrested and jailed immediately.
“Everybody will chop breakfast but at different times. You all abused Sowore when he said we need a #RevolutionNow and also abused him when he said #BuhariMustGo.
“You don’t support and appreciate your heroes, which is the biggest problem of African people.
“No politician can save Africa; it’s only an activist that can save and liberate Africa. The reason is they always find a way to kill our activists and heroes in Africa.
“This trend must stop, and we need to start supporting our freedom fighters if we actually want freedom.”
For Collins Goodluck, he alleged, “That officer must have wasted many suspects in the same manner; nothing seemed new or wrong to any member of his team. One even helped him to fix the magazine.
Sharing a similar sentiment, George Ime said, “The police do not want him to confess. I hope you understand what it means.”
Below are more reactions of Nigerians over the issue.
Adebayo Daniel, “The Nigeria Police Force seems to have forgotten its primary duty, which is to protect lives and property, but instead are now tools in the hands of the oppressors; provided it’s about money in their pockets, this is nothing but a show of how bastardized the system has been, which is one of the many reasons millions of well-meaning Nigerians are praying and supporting a candidate like Omoyele Sowore because we know he will bring sanity to this whole mess.”
“Though we know many of the bad-egg officers wouldn’t like him because he doesn’t allow them to show their ego over any citizen, either you like him or not, the will of the people must stand, and all this wickedness must stop, and all those involved will be brought to book.”
Jane Gana, “Nigerian police are cursed. I laugh when people say they want state policing; it will be worse.”
Sikiru Kayode, “This is a litmus test for the new IGP to demonstrate that he is different. We cannot continue like this. It’s troubling that the Nigeria Police Force has not learned from the #EndSARS protest.”
General Odigo: “Don’t be surprised that this police officer that executed this guy is a member of that gang; he may be the one that supplies arms and other things to them, so for him to execute this guy just like that, there is something fishy that needs to be investigated.”
Aniete Ekop: “The policeman that shot a suspect in cuffs must be a reintegrated policeman from the disbanded ENDSARS squad; he’s probably one of those trigger-happy officers at the Lekki toll gate on the night of the innocent Nigerian massacre.”
