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The police in command Abia State, have announced that they have arrested a police operative who allegedly shot dead an entrepreneur in Aba, the commercial hub of the state.
The Eastern Updates gathered that the businessman whose name was given as Emmanuel Okocha was shot dead on Friday in the state for allegedly refusing to give a bribe to some police operatives.
The late Okocha hailed from Abiriba, a community in Ohafia Local Government Area in the Southeastern state.
The operatives were reportedly from the Rapid Response Squad of the police in the state.
They were said to have demanded a bribe from the victim despite the victim having his complete vehicle documents and driver’s licence.
In a statement yesterday, the police spokesperson in Abia State, Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the development, saying the operative who allegedly killed the entrepreneur has been arrested.
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Ms Chinaka, an assistant superintendent of police, identified the operative as Obagi Njok, a police corporal attached to the Abayi Police Division in the state.
“The officer has been apprehended, and necessary disciplinary procedures have been initiated. Appropriate disciplinary actions and sanctions will be effected soonest, and he will face the full course of appropriate administrative and legal consequences,” Ms Chinaka stated.
The police spokesperson said the family of the slain entrepreneur and community leaders would be carried along in the prosecution of the officer.
“The Abia State Police Command states without prevarication that the incident is unfortunate, and regrettable,” she said.
She said police authorities in the state have commiserated with the victim’s family and his loved ones.
“Abia State Police Command remains steadfast in upholding professionalism and the rule of law. We unequivocally condemn any act of misconduct, unprofessionalism, and indiscipline among our officers,” she stated.
Cases of police brutality and killing of Nigerians are not new in the country.
In October 2020, Nigerian youths protested against police brutality across the country and called for the disbandment of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police.
Despite the ban on SARS, the cases of police brutality have persisted across the country.
Six officers, for instance, were caught in a viral video, in April 2023 using a machete to smack two unidentified people in Imo State.
The police in the state later conducted an ‘orderly room trial’ of the officers and punished them
