Police say trial set to begin for three officers seen in footage slapping man in Rivers state

ARINZE NWAFOR

The Nigeria Police Force has announced that three of its officers involved in the video footage where an officer visibly slapped a man have reported at the Force Headquarters, Tuesday. 

The police say the trial for Inspector Adejoh Siaka, Inspector Friday Obaka and Sgt. Ndiwa Kpuebari, implicated in the civilian harassment video will begin soon.

On April 9, a video on Twitter showed an unidentified man getting harassed by an officer at the Emohua checkpoint, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Rivers State Police Command’s official Twitter handle responded to the video asking the victim in the video to contact the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) or come to the state’s police headquarters to ask for prompt disciplinary measures.

The NPF PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi further responded by saying that the men involved in the video depicting police harassment have been arrested.

Adejobi said the officers’ commander will bring them to the Force Headquarters on Tuesday for further action.

“They are three (3) in number, attached to RRS, Rivers State,” he said. 

“Their action does not portray the police in a good light at all,” the Force PRO continued.

In reaction to the video and the Force PRO’s statement of the officer’s report to the Headquarters, a Twitter user, Qayyum Oluwadamilola, commented on how the officers always have a complete uniform on when arrested.

Adejobi replied saying “It’s obvious that many of them outside do what they do [because] they think they won’t be caught.” 

“And we want to encourage our officers and their heads to always [do] due diligence to supervision and regular lectures,”  the Force PRO added.

Adejobi also said the charges against the officers will include improper dressing, as they were on an operation that warranted putting on uniform instead of a T-shirt.