Effurun shooting: Police recommend dismissal of officer, five others

Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, has recommended the dismissal and prosecution of six officers over the fatal shooting of a man in Effurun, Delta State.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Disu said those affected include an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nuhu Usman, and five other officers linked to the 26 April incident.

He described the shooting of Mene Ogidi as “criminal and unprofessional”, adding that it violated the core principles of the Nigeria Police Force.

“Let me be clear: this action is criminal, it is unprofessional, and has no place in the Nigeria Police Force. No uniform is a licence to kill,” he said.

Mr Disu said the officers had been transferred to Abuja, where they appeared before the Force Disciplinary Committee and an Orderly Room Tribunal.

According to him, the investigation found that Mr Usman acted in breach of Force Order 237, which governs the use of firearms, as well as other standard procedures.

“No level of criminal suspicion against a citizen justifies extrajudicial killing. Our duty is to protect life, not to extinguish it,” he added.

The police chief said the disciplinary bodies had recommended the immediate dismissal of the ASP, two superintendents and three inspectors. He said they would be handed over to judicial authorities to face prosecution once the decision is ratified by the Police Service Commission.

Mr Disu said the force remained committed to a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct and would continue to hold officers accountable.

He also extended condolences to the family of the victim and promised that justice would be “swift, transparent and seen to be done”.

Residents were urged to remain calm and law-abiding, while a delegation led by a senior police officer has been sent to Delta State to meet the victim’s family.