Imo Police Investigate Officer Seen Assaulting Motorist

The police in Imo State have started looking into a viral video that shows an officer attacking a man along the Owerri, Orlu Road.

Police spokesperson Henry Okoye said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident took place on Tuesday.

The video showed the armed officer beating the victim while other officers tried to hold him back.

At one point, the officer was seen trying to cock his rifle while aiming it at the man.

The victim, a motorist, later explained to the officer’s colleagues that the officer stopped him to check his vehicle documents. The officer then asked for “fuel money,” which the man refused, leading to the assault.

In the statement on Wednesday, Mr Okoye, who is a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed that the officer has been identified as Gabriel Utuh, an assistant superintendent of police.

Mr Okoye noted that Utuh is the team leader of the Rapid Response Squad patrol team along the Owerri, Orlu Road.

He said, “The circumstances surrounding the incident are being thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against any erring officer.”

Mr Okoye reassured residents of Imo State that the investigation would be “thorough, impartial and guided by the principles of accountability and professionalism.”

He also provided a mobile phone number and encouraged the victim to reach out to the Command’s Complaint Response Unit for support in the ongoing investigation.

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, has reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for unprofessional conduct, abuse of authority, and violations of citizens’ rights.

The police chief emphasized the command’s commitment to accountability, discipline, and professionalism.

Reports of police brutality, extortion, and extrajudicial killings continue to emerge in Nigeria despite actions like dismissals from service.

This recent incident happened less than three weeks after police authorities ordered the arrest and detention of a police inspector and two personnel from the Imo State Civil Guard Corps for alleged extortion.

Six months ago, the police in Anambra State arrested and detained six senior officers for allegedly torturing and extorting N200,000 from a trader in Onitsha, a major commercial center in the South East.

In February, three officers were dismissed for allegedly kidnapping and extorting N1.7 million from a man at gunpoint in Imo.

In January, police operatives shot and killed a private motorcyclist in Ebonyi State.

In November 2024, police operatives from the Crack Squad in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, shot a labourer dead and injured three others.

A similar event occurred in Abakaliki in 2018 when a police officer shot a commercial motorcyclist for refusing to pay a N50 bribe.

In August 2024, police operatives in Bayelsa State extorted N3 million from a Nigerian man at gunpoint.

The victim later complained to police authorities, leading to the arrest of the officers involved.

The police operatives returned the N3 million to the victim about three weeks later.