The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered an immediate investigation into the alleged assault by a police officer against a young man in Kogi State.
This was made known in a statement issued on Saturday by the Force’s spokesman, Frank Mba.
The IGP reportedly directed the Commissioner of Police, Idris Dauda to launch an investigation to ensure justice is served.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command to immediately carry out discrete investigations into the incident depicted in the attached trending video from a location believed to be in Kogi State.
”The IGP calls for calm, noting that at the end of the investigations, justice will be done to the victim of the incident and police personnel found guilty, brought to book.”
The development comes after a video showing the assault had now gone viral.
The video shows the moment an armed police officer slapped a passenger travelling in a commercial bus.
In the video, a man explains that a team of police officers stopped a commercial bus to carry out a search.
During their search, they found a laptop with a man who said he was a student and used the laptop for his assignments. The man claimed the officers did not believe the student and demanded a bribe of N25, 000.
In his account, one of the officers removed his uniform and took the student to a point-of-sale operator where they made the student withdraw N25, 000 and handed it over to them as they did not want it transferred to any of their accounts to avoid detection.
He further claimed that when one of the passengers frowned on the intimidation, extortion, and threat by one of the officers to shoot, the officer got angry and slapped the man.
The officer further threatened that if he cocked his gun, nothing would happen.
The man claimed the police officer threatened that blood would flow if they did not caution themselves.
He said, “Look at what Nigerian police is doing to the citizens of this country, they forced a fellow passenger to get into their car to the ATM to withdraw money. All the drivers parked and condemned it. He has come now and started slapping. He slapped a passenger because the man asked him why will they follow a passenger to the POS.
“Look at his face, he said he will kill, he said blood will flow if they don’t take time. We are here in Kogi State.”
