Police confirms arrest of officer who killed man in Abia

The Abia State Police Command said Monday that a police inspector who allegedly shot a man dead along Ururuka Road, Ogbor Hill area of Aba has been arrested.

The policeman who is simply identified as Stanley was arrested for shooting one Chibuisi while enforcing the lockdown in the area.

Eyewitnesses said the policeman was trying to stop a vehicle that allegedly violated the government’s restriction of movement when the bullet in his gun went off and hit the victim who later died in the hospital.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon, who confirmed the arrest of the policeman, said the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation

He said: ”The police as an institution does not take such a thing lightly. That police inspector was arrested immediately and detained. As I’m talking to you, SCID has taken over the matter and the policeman is under investigation for murder.

“We have our rules of engagement, we have our standard of operation and procedure and we have our own Force Order 237 as reviewed. That order has to do with when a police officer has to use his firearm and it will be justified.

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“It is not an excuse for you to say accidental discharge. A trained officer on such an assignment should put his rifle on safety. The rifle has safety and ones you put it there, it’ll not just release.

“So, it is not an excuse that he mistakenly touched the trigger. That is why we detained him and we are seriously investigating the whole matter.”

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