A police officer has been arrested after a viral video showed him shooting at a civilian’s moving vehicle in Asaba, Delta State. The footage sparked outrage online, prompting the state Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, to order an immediate investigation.
In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, the officer’s actions were described as “unprofessional and unbecoming.” The police command condemned the shooting, stressing that no officer has the right to use a firearm without following Force Order 237, which governs when and how police weapons may be used.
Edafe confirmed that the officer had been apprehended and that preliminary findings suggested he was responding to a hit-and-run incident. However, the command maintained that unjustified firearm use violates police regulations.
The Commissioner assured the public that disciplinary measures would follow under the Police Act to deter similar misconduct.
This case adds to growing public concern over police brutality in Nigeria. In April 2024, a police sergeant in Lagos was dismissed after fatally shooting an unarmed motorist during an argument at a checkpoint.
