- Safiu Kehinde
Imo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of four of its officers caught physically assaulting a drug trafficking suspect.
This was confirmed in a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye.
As seen in a viral video shared on X, the four four operatives of the Command’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, namely, Sgt Patrick Nwangbo, Cpl God’swill Okechukwu, Cpl Justice Nnorom and Cpl Goodluck Iwuagwu were caught physically assaulting the said suspect in an attempt to forcefully arrest him.
The video clip also showed the suspect handcuffed on one hand while holding his baby with the other hand.
Reacting to the video, Okoye explained that the suspect was arrested in connection to a case of conspiracy and drug trafficking with confessions from other previously arrested suspects linking him to the crime.
Okoye, however, condemned the officers’s approach to the situation while disclosing their detention over the incident.
The statement read in part; “The Imo State Police Command is aware of the recent video circulating on social media depicting a confrontation during the arrest of a young man and want to assure the public that the Command takes such matters seriously and is committed to maintaining law and order in the State.
“In response to the video, four operatives of the Command’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, namely, Sgt Patrick Nwangbo, Cpl God’swill Okechukwu, Cpl Justice Nnorom and Cpl Goodluck Iwuagwu, embarked on an operation at Ovoro-Uzomiri Umuosu, Naze in Owerri North LGA of Imo State, on 16/09/2024 to execute an arrest warrant for a young man named, Prince Amaechi ( m) 32yrs linked to a case of conspiracy and drug trafficking, based on D confession of previously arrested suspects named; Ijeoma Ezealamba ‘f’, Ebenezer Chukwuka ‘m’.
“During the operation, the suspect resisted arrest, leading to the escalation captured in the video.
“The Command condemns the actions of the operatives, emphasizing that the situation should have been handled with greater discretion and professionalism.
“The operatives involved have been apprehended for interrogation, and the Commissioner of Police has directed that the case be transferred to the IGP X-Squad Imo State Command for thorough investigation.
“Additionally, the officers will face an orderly room trial pending the outcome of the investigation. The Command urge the public to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation while we conduct investigation.
“The Imo State Police Command is dedicated to transparency and will provide updates as appropriate to keep the members of the public informed.”