Rivers State Police Command has dismissed three officers linked to the alleged killing of Anthony Obodo, a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), in Port Harcourt.
Gatekeepers News reports that Olugbenga Adepoju, Rivers Commissioner of Police, announced the dismissal on Wednesday while parading the officers in Port Harcourt.
The incident occurred on August 27 at about 5:30pm when a patrol team from the Agip Division was returning from a special duty at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium. According to Adepoju, the officers sighted a black, fully tinted Lexus vehicle and attempted to stop it.
The police said the driver allegedly sped off, prompting the officers to give chase. During the pursuit, Alfred Louis, a corporal attached to the patrol team, allegedly opened fire and hit the driver.
Obodo was rushed to Palmars Hospital in Port Harcourt, where he was attended to before he was confirmed dead by a doctor.
The three members of the patrol team were subsequently arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where an investigation into the incident was conducted.
Adepoju said another officer, Inspector Solomon Nwogu, allegedly absconded after the incident and efforts were ongoing to locate and arrest him.
Following the investigation, the police said the three officers were found to have been complicit in the incident and were subjected to orderly-room proceedings. They were subsequently recommended for dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force.
The commissioner said the dismissed officers would also be charged to court to face appropriate criminal charges.
Adepoju reaffirmed the command’s commitment to professionalism, accountability and respect for human rights, saying the police would not shield any officer found to have violated the law.
He added that the action demonstrated that no police officer was above the law and assured the public that the case would be prosecuted.
