Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, yesterday, ordered the arrest of all operatives of the anti-kidnap unit (Tiger Base), Owerri, involved in an assault on a nursing mother and her children.
He also directed operatives of the X- Squad/Disciplinary Unit of the command to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the matter and punish the erring officers accordingly.
A woman, identified as Ogechi Eze, was seen in a viral video explaining what she suffered in the hands of Tiger Base personnel. She lamented that the operatives never regarded her as a nursing mother with children when they came for an arrest.
Confirming the development, police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, in a statement, said the CP also urged the woman to present herself to the Police Public Relations Unit, to aid in the investigation.
He said: “The Imo State Police Command is not unaware of a video making the rounds on social media, in which a nursing mother, who identified herself as Ogechi Eze, alleged that she and her children were assaulted by operatives of the Command’s anti-kidnapping unit.
“Accordingly, the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has ordered the immediate arrest and detention of the alleged officers, and tasked the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the command’s X-Squad and Provost to ensure that the alleged officers are sanctioned in accordance with the Force’s extant laws, if found culpable.
“The command, therefore, encourages Ogechi to report at the Police Public Relations Department, Command Headquarters, Owerri, to assist in identifying the officers in the ongoing investigation.”
“According to Danjuma, he would ensure that under his watch, no unprofessional conduct exhibited by any officer will be condoned.” The spokesperson added: “The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, reaffirms that he will never condone any form of unprofessionalism, arrest by proxy, assault, or incivility to members of the public by personnel, and will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary actions against any recalcitrant officer infringing on the fundamental human rights of citizens whom we have the constitutional mandate to serve and protect.
“Further development on this case will be communicated to the general public in due course.”
