A police officer in Delta State has been arrested and transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja after he shot and killed a 28-year-old suspect in what the state police command has described as a clear violation of standing orders and an unacceptable act of extrajudicial conduct that would not go unpunished.
The shooting occurred on Saturday, April 26, 2026, in Effurun, Delta State, and claimed the life of Mene Ogidi, who had been apprehended on suspicion of attempting to courier a parcel containing a Beretta pistol and four rounds of ammunition.
According to the Delta State Police Command, operatives attached to the Area Command in Effurun had received credible intelligence from members of the public about the suspect and were deployed to the scene to take him into custody through lawful means. Instead, the officer leading the team, Assistant Superintendent of Police Nuhu Usman, discharged his firearm in direct violation of Force Order 237 and the Standard Operating Procedure of the Nigeria Police Force, fatally wounding Ogidi before he could be processed through any formal legal channel.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, condemned the killing in the strongest possible terms immediately upon receiving the report, describing it as conduct wholly inconsistent with the values and operational standards of the force. He directed the Area Commander in Effurun to arrest ASP Usman without delay and transfer him to the State Headquarters in Asaba for disciplinary proceedings.
The officer was subsequently queried and transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he is to appear before the Force Disciplinary Committee, currently in session, for immediate sanction. Criminal prosecution is also expected to follow.
In a press release issued by the command, CP Oyeniyi extended sincere condolences to the family of Mene Ogidi and gave a direct personal assurance that the command would ensure justice was served.
“The Command reaffirms its zero tolerance for lawlessness, recklessness and extrajudicial conduct,” the release stated, adding that the force remained committed to the principles of respect for the rule of law, human rights, professionalism, accountability, and public trust.
The commissioner appealed to members of the public to remain calm and law abiding, assuring that all necessary steps were being taken to address the incident decisively and that no officer would be shielded from accountability regardless of rank.
The killing has drawn renewed attention to the persistent challenge of extrajudicial violence within Nigeria’s law enforcement system, even as the command’s swift response in arresting the officer has been noted by observers as a departure from the pattern of institutional silence that has historically followed such incidents.
