The Rivers State Police Command has arrested two officers attached to the command over a trending video on social media that captured them assaulting a man identified as Iyke, in Oyibo Local Government Area of the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Polycarp-Emeka, in a statement, condemned the assault.
The CP, in a statement by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the officers involved were currently at the Command undergoing trial for their unprofessional act, a step he said would serve as a deterrent to other police officers.
The statement appealed to the victim to come forward to the Command Public Relations Department, to give his statement and aid the conclusion of the investigation, assuring that his identity will be protected.
She said: “The Commissioner of Police, CP Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, has condemned the police assault and brutality of a man in a video trending on social media.
“The policemen in the video have been identified and arrested. They are currently at the Command undergoing trial for their unprofessional act which will serve as a deterrent to other police personnel.
“The Commissioner of Police assures members of the public that the police operatives will be investigated in line with extant rules underlying the conduct of police personnel and appropriate sanctions meted accordingly.
“The command further assures the good people of Rivers State of its unalloyed commitment to promoting the rule of law.”
The man who captured the incident described the action of the policemen as similar to the operation of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
He added that such actions by the police have been recurrent in Oyigbo.
