Police authorities in Edo state have said they had arrested the Command’s team of operatives who ran a Toyota Sienna patrol vehicle over a handcuffed man.
This was just as the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Adamu Dankwara, condemned the action of the policeman that he saw in the trending video, describing it as “barbaric, inhumane and unprofessional.”
The incident which was said to have occurred in Ekpoma, Esan West local government on Thursday drew criticisms after a video of it went viral.
The Command’s spokesman, SP. Chidi Nwabuzor, in a statement on Friday said six officers in the team had been arrested following CP Dankwara’s marching order to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ekpoma.
Parts of the statement read, “The officers had been arrested, and they are with the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), where they are undergoing some interrogations.
“The police Command wishes to inform the general public that it’s aware of the trending video in the social media that shows some Police officers with a Sienna Vehicle used for Police patrol that ran over a young man who was handcuffed.
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“The facts of the incident as gathered preliminarily indicate that on 29/06/2023 at about 1700hrs, ASP Magdalene Osayande reported at Ekpoma Divisional Police Headquarters, Ekpoma, Edo state.
“Osayande said that while on routine stop and search duty with her team of six (6) policemen along Ihumudumu Road, Ekpoma, Edo State, intercepted a driver of an unregistered Lexus car and demanded for the vehicle particulars.
“Along the line, he became aggressive and refused to oblige the request of the Police operatives, but rather attacked them, inflicted injuries on them, and destroyed a Police vehicle. However, he was arrested, handcuffed, and identified as one Success Ehimare before the incident that is currently trending in social media occurred.
“He (suspect) was later taken to Irrua Specialist Hospital for treatment, and he is in good health condition.”
Meanwhile, the member representing Esan Constituency in the House of Assembly, Jonathan Ibhamawu, has berated the policemen’s action, declaring that “it was a premeditated action which lends credence to impunity.”