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The Inspector General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, has approved the dismissal and prosecution of officers, in connection with the fatal shooting of Mene Ogidi in Effurun area of Delta State.
The IGP, at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, said the affected officers were Nuhu Usman, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), and five other team members.
Disu described the April 26 incident as a “criminal and unprofessional” act that betrayed the basic oath of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Let me be clear; this act is criminal, unprofessional and has no place in the Nigerian Police Force. No uniform is a license to kill,” he said.
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The IGP said he ordered the immediate transfer of the officers involved to Abuja to face the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) and Orderly Chambers Tribunal, which are already in session.
“Investigations confirm, without any ambiguity, that ASP Nuhu Usman committed serious violations of Force Order 237 (which regulates the use of firearms) and stipulated Standard Operating Procedures.
“No criminal suspicion of a citizen can justify extrajudicial killings. Our duty is to protect life, not destroy it,” Disu added.
He also said the FDC and the Court’s Orderly Chamber had recommended the immediate dismissal of Usman, the two supervisors and the three Inspectors involved.
He said that after being dismissed, the officers would be handed over to judicial authorities to face charges of unlawful killing.
The IGP further said that the recommendations have been forwarded to the Police Services Commission (PSC) for final constitutional ratification.
He added that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards lawlessness within its ranks.
He said the officer’s actions violated Force Order 237 and did not reflect the agency’s values or training.
Disu expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased, and promised that justice would be served quickly, transparently and absolutely.
“I promise you; justice will not only be served, but it will also be seen to be served,” he concluded.
