The university town of Ekpoma in Edo State’s Esan West Local Government Area was jolted on Thursday evening when a team of policemen in their official vehicle (a black Sienna bus provided by the Edo State Government) ran over a handcuffed middle-aged man who had previously asked the policemen to lie down.
A trending video that went viral on Friday morning showed people gathered, apparently watching the handcuffed man on the floor in front of the police vehicle, before the driver moved, crushing and dragging him on the ground for over 100 metres while ignoring crowd screams.
The crowd erupted in response to the incident, but police gunshots quickly dispersed the enraged crowd.
In a press statement, the Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the policemen had been arrested and that the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara, had called for calm.
The Statement reads in part:
Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it’s aware of the trending video on social media that shows some Police officers with a Sienna Vehicle used for Police patrol that ran over a young man who was handcuffed.
The facts of the incident as gathered preliminarily indicates that on 29/06/2023 at about 1700hrs, ASP Magdalene Osayande reported at Ekpoma Divisional Police Headquarters, Ekpoma, Edo State that while on routine stop and search duty with her team of six (6) policemen along Ihumudumu Road, Ekpoma, Edo State, intercepted a driver of unregistered Lexus car and demanded for the vehicle particulars.
According to the statement, “along the way, he became aggressive and refused to comply with the request of the Police operatives, instead attacking them, inflicting injuries on them, and destroying the Police vehicle.”
“However, before the incident that is currently trending on social media, he was arrested, handcuffed, and identified as one Success Ehimare.” He was later transported to Irrua Specialist Hospital for treatment, and he is now in good health.
In light of the foregoing, CP Mohammed Adamu Dankwara has condemned the action of the police officer depicted in the trending video, calling it barbaric, inhumane, and unprofessional.
As a result, he issued a marching order to Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ekpoma to identify, arrest, and transport to State Police Headquarters Benin for briefing and debriefing. The officers were arrested and are now being held by the State Criminal Investigation Department.”