Izuchukwu OkosiTHE Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has ordered an immediate investigation into the case of police brutality suffered by a Nigerian citizen in Kogi state on Saturday, 16 October 2021.
A viral video has been making the rounds in which a young man was physically assaulted by a gun-toting police officer who seemingly got enraged when the victim asked why he should threaten to shoot at passengers of a commercial bus ostensibly for monetary reasons.
A narrator in the video who spoke in pidgin English explained that the man who appears to be in his late 20s was forcibly asked to go with the officers on duty at Okene road, Kogi state to withdraw his money from a POS centre apparently as a punitive measure for daring to question their orders.
The man was also slapped across his face by the officer as seen in the footage.
The police boss in directing the Kogi state police commissioner, Idrisu Dauda Dabban to carry out an inquest into the poor treatment meted to the victim assured that the investigation would ensure that justice is achieved by the victim and the police personnel found guilty of the act brought to book.
According to a release made available to the media and signed by Commissioner of Police (CP) and the Force Public Relations Officer Frank Mba at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on Sunday, the investigation would however be “discreet” albeit Nigerians will be keen to know the public outcome of the findings.
The case file opened by the Force indicated that the incident have been marked as Ref No. CZ. 5300/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.4/49 and dated 16th October 2021 by The Director of News of the Nigeria Police Command, Kogi state.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command to immediately carry out discrete investigations into the incident depicted in the attached trending video from a location believed to be in Kogi State.
“The IGP calls for calm, noting that at the end of the investigations, justice will be done to the victim of the incident and police personnel found guilty, brought to book.
Nigerians are still reeling from the many inhuman treatments suffered in the hands of the police which culminated in the October 2020 End Sars Protest across the country.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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