Police Investigate Assault on Delta State University Students

In a recent incident, the Nigeria Police has expressed its condemnation of the assault on two students from the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro. The victims were allegedly attacked by unidentified men suspected to be police officers. The incident came to light through a viral video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by a user with the handle ‘Ughellivibes’. The video depicted scenes of the students being beaten with batons by the police officers, while onlookers gathered around.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, strongly condemned the assault, emphasizing that the Force does not endorse any form of indecent or unprofessional conduct. Adejobi called on the Delta State Police Command to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Addressing the incident, ACP Adejobi stated, “We should always be able to justify our actions. The beating is condemned and is not professional. While the police have the power to arrest, search, and enforce the law, as well as apply minimum force in carrying out their operations, it must be done with decorum, professionalism, and proportionality. We do not support any form of indecent and unprofessional conduct under any circumstances.”

In response to the incident, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, appealed to the public to provide any information they have about the victims. He requested that individuals contact the command through the provided phone number or any of their CRU (Complaint Response Unit) lines.

Efforts to obtain an update on the progress of the police investigation from SP Edafe were unsuccessful, as calls and texts to him went unanswered at the time of filing this report.

In a related incident reported by  of Ibadan, Oyo State, expressed their outrage over the alleged assault of a 17-year-old boy who was hospitalized after being slapped by a policeman. The boy, whose name was not disclosed to protect his identity as a minor, had recently returned from the United States to visit his elderly grandmother but became a victim of police brutality.

Eyewitnesses stated that the incident occurred on December 27, 2023, during the festive period. They also mentioned that they could no longer remain silent about the incident, especially after recovering videos and pictures they had managed to capture at the scene.

One resident, Sola Ajayi, questioned why the officers would assault the boy, wondering if looking good was a crime that warranted such treatment.