PREMIUM TIMES
The police have confirmed that seven of their officers deliberately ran their patrol vehicle over a handcuffed man in Edo State, South-south Nigeria.
“A police team ran a vehicle over a citizen on Thursday June 29, 2023 at Ekpoma, Edo State,” Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said in a statement on Friday evening where he quoted the acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, as condemning the officers’ action.
The police chief, Mr Egbetokun, said the incident was “disturbing” and the officers’ action unprofessional.
Nigerians have been outraged by the incident which was captured in a viral video.
In the 19-second clip, a handcuffed man is lying on a road while a police vehicle – a Sienna car – ran over him.
People screamed for the officers to stop, while the handcuffed man was powerless beneath the vehicle.
Police in Edo State said the seven officers had been arrested and that they were being questioned in the state over the incident.
The inspector-general of police has, however, ordered that the erring officers should be brought to the Force Headquarters Abuja for “further action.”
What really happened?
The Commissioner of Police in Edo, Adamu Dankwara, condemned the action of the officers, describing it as “barbaric, inhumane and unprofessional”, according to a statement from the police spokesperson in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor.
Mr Nwabuzor identified the leader of the police team as Magdalene Osayande, an assistant superintendent of police.
The arrested officers were detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, where they are being interrogated, Mr Nwabuzor said.
