The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a police officer captured in a viral video firing shots at a moving vehicle in Asaba, the state capital.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, said the officer’s action was “unprofessional and unbecoming of a police officer,” adding that the command condemned the conduct “in totality.”
According to Edafe, “After a careful examination of the video clip, it is clear that the policemen acted in an unprofessional manner, unbecoming of a police officer. The Command condemns his act in totality as no policeman has the right to use his firearm without recourse to Force Order 237.”
He emphasized that it is the duty of every police officer “to protect lives and property and not to put the life of anybody in danger.”
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Edafe disclosed that the officer had been identified, summoned, and detained at the Command Headquarters on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, who also ordered internal disciplinary action.
While acknowledging that the officer had responded to a hit-and-run incident, Edafe maintained that “no policeman is allowed to use his firearm without justification, as stipulated in Force Order 237.”
“The CP assures members of the public that the officer concerned will be dealt with in accordance with the extant laws as stipulated in the Police Act and regulations to serve as a deterrent to others,” he added.
