The Imo State Police Command has arrested four police personnel captured in a viral video forcing a young man into the boot of a vehicle along Human Race Road, Nekede.
According to the command, the incident occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 2.
Confirming the arrests, the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, said preliminary investigations revealed that the officers involved comprised two police officers attached to the Nekede Divisional Headquarters and two Supernumerary Police Officers.
Okoye explained that the personnel were conducting an operation at a location suspected to be a hub for illicit drug trafficking along Human Race Road, where two suspects were arrested.
He added that a substance suspected to be cannabis was recovered from one of the suspects, who allegedly admitted to selling illegal drugs in the area.
Despite the reported recovery, the command condemned the officers’ conduct during the arrest.
“Notwithstanding the outcome of the operation, the Imo State Police Command unequivocally condemns the unprofessional conduct of the personnel as captured in the viral video. The manner in which one of the suspects was arrested and forced into the boot of a vehicle is unacceptable, inhumane, and completely not in conformity with the Standard Operating Procedures, Code of Conduct, and professional ethics of the Nigeria Police Force,” Okoye said.
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police had ordered the immediate detention of the four officers.
According to the spokesperson, the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough and impartial investigation, while disciplinary proceedings have commenced against the officers involved.
Okoye assured the public that the outcome of the investigation and any disciplinary actions taken would be made public upon the conclusion of the inquiry.
The viral video, which sparked widespread public outrage, showed a man being forced into the boot of a vehicle by individuals dressed in police uniforms. The incident had prompted calls for an investigation into the officers’ conduct.