Police discloses identities of officers who assaulted motorist in Rivers State

The police have disclosed the identities of the three officers who assaulted a motorist in Rivers State, South-south Nigeria.

ValidViewNetwork had earlier reported a viral video showing the harassment, intimidation and assault of a motorist in Rivers State.

The officers in the viral video have been confirmed to be Adejoh Siaka and Friday Obaka, both of them inspectors while the third is Ndiwa Kpuebari, a sergeant.

The spokesperson for the Force Headquarters, Muyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this in a Twitter post on Tuesday evening, uploaded the photo of the three officers on his Twitter page.

“These are the men who slapped a man on the road in Rivers. They reported at the Force Headquarters today. Trial will soon commence. We will update you as soon as possible,” Mr Adejobi said on the social media site.

The force spokesperson had informed Nigerians on Monday via Twitter about the arrest of the officers, and that they would be brought to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, the next day (Tuesday) for “further actions”.

In the clip which has been circulating on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, one of the officers, armed with an AK-47 rifle, is seen slapping the motorist after beating him with a cane.

ADVERTISEMENT

Another officer was also filmed shoving a woman, said to be the man’s wife, into a car.

Mr Adejobi said the officers’ action was “barbaric” and “does not portray the police in a good light at all”.

“I wonder how a man, a reasonable man, would be flogging or slapping a grown-up man in that manner,” the spokesperson added.

The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Okon Effiong had earlier on Monday ordered the arrest of the officers, and promised to get them sanctioned for their action.

The Rivers incident occurred a few days after a police officer allegedly shot dead a young man in the neighbouring Delta State for reportedly refusing to give N100 bribe.

The victim, Onyeka Ibe, was inside a car with his wife when he was shot.

The officer who allegedly shot the man had been arrested and detained