The Nigeria Police Force has ordered the transfer of Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nuhu Usman, to Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary action and prosecution over the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi in Effurun, Delta State, following public outrage over a viral video of the incident.
Force Headquarters, in a statement issued Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, condemned the killing and assured the family of the deceased that justice would be served.
The shooting, which occurred on April 26 in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, drew widespread attention after a disturbing video surfaced online showing the suspect restrained before he was shot at close range by the officer.
According to the police, preliminary findings showed that operatives attached to the Effurun Area Command had responded to intelligence from Benin Motor Park along the Warri-Sapele Expressway after transport union members reportedly apprehended Ogidi while attempting to waybill a parcel said to contain a Beretta pistol and four rounds of ammunition.
However, the Force said ASP Usman violated police operational procedures by discharging his firearm while efforts were ongoing to take the suspect into lawful custody.
The police said the officer and members of his operational team have now been transferred to Abuja, where they will face the Force Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary action and prosecution.
The Inspector-General of Police extended condolences to the family of the deceased and urged members of the public to remain calm while legal and internal disciplinary processes continue.
Before the intervention of Force Headquarters, the Delta State Police Command had already confirmed the officer’s arrest, with Commissioner of Police Yemi Oyeniyi describing the incident as an extrajudicial killing and a direct breach of Force Order 237, the regulation guiding the use of firearms by police personnel.
There are also indications that the officer could face murder charges, following comments by the Delta Police spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, who said the suspect was already restrained and posed no immediate threat at the time he was shot.
The killing of Mene Ogidi has again brought the issue of police brutality back into national focus, years after the #EndSARS protests triggered demands for reforms and stronger accountability within the Nigeria Police Force.
Human rights groups and civil society organisations have also called for a transparent prosecution, insisting that the matter should not end with internal disciplinary action.
The Nigeria Police Force, however, says it remains committed to professionalism, accountability, and the protection of human rights, maintaining that officers who violate operational rules will face the consequences.
The incident has intensified public calls for deeper reforms within the police system, with many Nigerians watching closely to see whether the promised justice in the Mene Ogidi case will be fully pursued.
