The Nigeria Police Force has directed the Enugu State Command to identify and hold accountable the officers accused of assaulting a driver over an alleged N100 bribe.
The Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced the directive on Monday through his X.com handle after a video of the incident emerged online.
“This is unacceptable. @Enugu_PoliceNg @PoliceNG_CRU @PoliceNG, produce these men immediately for necessary action. Thanks,” Adejobi directed on Monday.
Although the exact location of the incident remains unclear, the viral video has sparked outrage among Nigerians online, with many condemning police brutality across the country.
The over four-minute viral video depicts armed men in police uniforms engaging in a confrontation with a bus driver.
As the confrontation continued, passengers, reportedly members of a Christian group in training, tried to intervene by appealing to the men in uniform to resolve the issue.
Despite the passengers’ attempts to mediate, at least, four officers began assaulting the driver. At the same time, other group members inside the bus, one of whom was suspected of recording the incident, screamed in distress.
An X.com user, @Dj_SpoiltKid, shared the video alongside a post stating, “Nigeria Police Force Personnel Captured On Camera Brutalising Driver of Christian Girls in Training Over N100 in Enugu.”
The disturbing footage has ignited widespread outrage on social media, with many Nigerians voicing their disgust over the officers’ actions.
Some users condemned the suspected officers for resorting to unprovoked physical violence, while others criticised the force as a whole for consistently displaying unprofessional behaviour.
@Ayoappeal wrote, “Police are your friend indeed. The colonial mentality of police being a tool of oppression, aggression, and brutality is what a lot of police officers still carry. The police hierarchy has a lot of work to do.”
“The Nigeria Police Force must be held accountable—brutalising civilians over N100 is inexcusable. I call on the @PoliceNG and @EnuguPoliceNG to immediately intervene and end such disgraceful acts. This abuse of power is unacceptable in any civil society,” @waxdigitals added.
An X.com user named @Metaverse_NFTss blamed Nigerian federal lawmakers for failing to implement proper regulations that could reform the Nigeria Police Force and improve the conduct of its officers nationwide.
“These uniformed men are beasts on the road, and even after a million complaints from the public, the House of Representatives has refused to do anything about mandating the policemen to have body cams or road users to have dash cams to help curb this nuisance.
“Primary duty is to de-escalate issues, but they are the ones to abuse, provoke, and create problems where there are none.
“They are not interested in papers but pay passes. So, it’s now as if you are the one provoking them when you have your papers intact,” @Metaverse_NFTss wrote on Monday.
In response to Adejobi’s directive on Monday, the Enugu State Command posted on its X.com handle that efforts to apprehend the officers were underway.
“Noted. Action underway already, please,” the post read.
A phone call to enquire about the status of the case from the spokesperson for the state police command, Daniel Ekea, went unanswered as his mobile phone rang without response. Additionally, a text message sent to his phone had not been replied to at the time this report was filed.
