The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, has ordered the immediate arrest of a policeman seen in a viral video assaulting a man at Elibrade junction in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
Effiong also directed that other officers present during the incident should be identified and arrested.
The short video, which went viral on social media, showed the policeman slapping and whipping the victim while ordering him in Pidgin to keep moving.
The unidentified man asked the cop repeatedly if he stole but the assault continued until he moved towards a parked car while a woman who entered the car was seen accosted by another policeman.
The CP’s directive, contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, partly read: “Following the identification of the policemen shown in a viral video harassing and assaulting an unidentified man at Elibrade junction, Emohua, the Rivers State Command Commissioner, Okon Effiong, has ordered the immediate arrest of the officers indicated.
“As a defender of human rights, the CP assures members of the public that the police officers will be investigated in line with extant rules underlying the conduct of police personnel; and appropriate sanctions meted accordingly.”
See video below (allow to load:
Policeman assault man in Rivers
A policeman was captured assaulting a man on the highway in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday.
A viral video shared on social media shows moment the police officer slapped and flogged the man with a stick….1 pic.twitter.com/bo0mskjpbQ
— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) April 10, 2023