By John Ikani
A video capturing the shocking moment when police officers deliberately ran over a handcuffed man with their vehicle in Ekpoma, Edo State, has sparked widespread anger among Nigerians on social media.
The viral footage depicts the man lying on the ground, restrained by handcuffs, while a Sienna bus occupied by police officers purposefully drives over him.
According to reports gathered by Heritage Times [HT], the victim had been handcuffed by police officers from the Ekpoma division after he resisted their attempts to access his mobile phones.
When the officers tried to transport the man to the police station, bystanders intervened, leading to a confrontation between the two groups.
In the midst of the chaotic scene, the police officers entered their vehicle and callously ran over the handcuffed man, leaving him writhing in pain on the ground.
The victim sustained multiple bruises on his body and was subsequently rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
The incident has sparked a wave of anger on Twitter, with many Nigerians demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of the officers involved.
One Twitter user, O. O Nwani, expressed disbelief at the officers’ actions and called for justice for the victim.
Honestly, the beastialities of the rogue cops are too gruesome to be ignored.
Why use a vehicle to crush a citizen protesting your alleged illegality. We demand justice for the victim of the police high handedness@PoliceNG@PoliceNG_CRU@USinNigeria@UKinNigeria @VP @POTUS https://t.co/HTrG6bLuIE— O. O. Nwani (LP) (@BarrTailorson) June 30, 2023
Temo, another Twitter user, urged the police authorities to conduct a thorough evaluation of their personnel in order to weed out the bad elements among them.
The problem is what kind individuals do @PoliceNG recruit and call them officers of the law. The image of police should be uplifted. You need to separate the sheeps from the goats. This is barbaric https://t.co/qmxrMCH2hx
— Temo (@Temoofficial_) June 30, 2023
Similarly, Truth Whispers, a concerned Twitter user, called upon the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the officers responsible for this “heinous” incident face appropriate punishment.
Mr IGP, when you talk about Nigeria enemies, please, know they are very close to you, and sometimes in Uniform too. This alleged heinous act by a police officer is appalling, Anti-Nigeria and must be punished.#TruthsWhisper#EndPoliceBrutality https://t.co/6eBXdNqvLf
— Truths Whisper (@truths_whisper) June 30, 2023
In response to the incident, the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, condemned the officers’ behavior, labeling it as “unpolice,” and confirmed that the Commissioner of Police in Edo had been notified.
This is unpolice. I dont think a normal human being can do this. To crush a man with a car? This is unbelievable. I have personally contacted the CP Edo on this. We need to take urgent action on the matter. It's strange to me as a person. https://t.co/yJQAS9lppA
— Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi (@Princemoye1) June 30, 2023
When contacted for a statement, Chidi Nwabuzor, the Edo State Police spokesperson, stated that the Command would issue an official response to the incident today.
