Two police officers from the Rivers State Police Command have been apprehended for assaulting and inflicting severe injuries on a middle-aged man identified as Iyke in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
A widely circulated video captured the incident, showing the two armed police officers forcefully dragging the man and pushing him toward their parked patrol van by the roadside.
The altercation occurred on Saturday, July 8, 2023, when the man, dressed in brown trousers and a black sleeveless casual shirt, was attempting to communicate a point to the officers, but he refused to comply with their instructions.
Despite the man’s resistance, the officers, armed with AK-47 rifles, persisted in dragging him, eventually pulling him to the ground and forcibly bundling him into their waiting vehicle. A commentator’s voice in the video expressed outrage at the police officers’ behavior, comparing it to the actions of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and highlighting that such incidents were recurrent in the Oyigbo area of the state.
The unidentified commentator in the video urged members of the public to share the footage widely until it reaches the appropriate authorities.
He stated, “Please you people should share this video because what they (police) are doing in Oyigbo is not good.
“What has this boy done now that they are dragging him? They have started again in Oyigbo. Somebody cannot dress well here.
“You people said SARS have gone, but they are still here. Instead you people. (making a veiled reference to SARS) changed name that you are cops.
“Please share this video and like.”
Likewise, a female voice in the viral video identified the victim as Iyke and expressed her dismay, exclaiming,
“What kind of this thing is this? Iyke, don’t follow them.
“They (the policeman) should not injure this boy. What has he done? Iyke don’t allow them, don’t follow them.”
In response to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, strongly condemned the behavior of the officers, labeling it as unprofessional. In an official statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, it was confirmed that the two officers involved had been identified and apprehended.
The statement reads, “The Commissioner of Police, CP Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, has condemned the police assault and brutality of a man in a video trending on social media.
“The policemen in the video have been identified and arrested. They are currently at the Command undergoing trial for their unprofessional act which will serve as a deterrent to other police personnel”.
“The police appealed to the victim to come forward to the Public Relations Department of the command to give his own statement to aid the conclusion of the investigations and his identity will be protected”.
“The commissioner of Police assures members of the public, that the police operatives will be investigated in line with extant rules underlying the conduct of police personnel and appropriate sanctions meted accordingly”.
“The command further assures the good people of Rivers State of its unalloyed commitment to promoting the rule of law,” the statement added.
