The Imo State Commissioner of Police (CP), Muhammad Almed Barde, has taken a swift action following the release of a viral video showing officers assaulting two suspects with a cutlass.
The Commissioner, on Saturday, ordered an immediate Orderly Room Trial of the erring officers.
Spokesman for the State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Henry Okoye, announced through a statement on Saturday that the officers involved were identified to be a detachment of one of the Command’s Tactical teams comprising six police officers led by Inspector Sunday Amadi.
Okoye expressed regret over the officers’ actions, noting that they used a weapon that was not one of the police’s accoutrements in trying to apprehend the suspects.
He said the officers defaulted for discreditable/unprofessional conduct, improper dressing, incivility to, and assaulting the duo suspects identified as Ikechukwu Ajiegbu and Ugochukwu Ajiegbu.
ASP Okoye, however, explained that the suspects were allegedly found in an identified hard drug black spot situated at Uretta, Owerri, unlawfully in possession of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa and ‘Crystal Meth’ hard drug aka methamphetamine or ‘Mpuru Mmiri’ in local parlance.
The statement read: “CP Barde has ordered that prompt Orderly Room Trial should commence against the erring officers, and that necessary disciplinary actions be taken if found guilty.”
The PPRO further advised the public to remain calm as further developments on the orderly room trial and disciplinary actions would be communicated.
He further said that the Command has already marshaled out their Tactical and Operational squad to dominate the entire security space of the State with the aim of arresting the perpetrators of that dastardly act, and bringing them to face the full wrath of the law.
He enjoined residents of the State to join hands with the Police and other security agencies in the fight against terrorism, noting that security is everybody’s business.