ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Police Command has condemned the conduct of a policeman captured in a viral video firing at a moving vehicle in Asaba, describing the officer’s action as grossly unprofessional and a violation of police operational ethics.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement issued from Asaba, confirming that the officer involved has been identified, summoned, and detained at the Command Headquarters following an internal review of the incident.
According to the statement, the Command, after carefully examining the video, found that the officer acted in a manner “unbecoming of a police officer,” noting that no policeman has the right to use his firearm without recourse to Force Order 237, which clearly defines the circumstances under which a firearm may be discharged.
SP Edafe said the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has ordered that a full-scale internal disciplinary process be initiated immediately. The erring officer has been taken into custody, queried, and subjected to investigation, with the CP assuring that appropriate sanctions will be applied in line with the Police Act and regulations.
The Command, however, clarified that the officer was responding to a case of a hit-and-run accident at the time of the incident, but stressed that such a situation did not justify the use of firearms.
“No policeman is allowed to use his firearm without proper justification as stipulated in Force Order 237,” the statement added, emphasizing that the Command would not condone any act that endangers public safety or undermines professional standards.
CP Abaniwonda reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property remains the paramount duty of the Delta State Police Command and assured members of the public that the officer would be dealt with decisively to serve as a deterrent to others.
He also urged residents to continue cooperating with the police while assuring that disciplinary measures and accountability remain central to the Command’s operations.
