In a 45-second long footage of the incident, the police officers could be seen dragging and tearing the clothes of the victims while slapping, hitting and cutting them with a machete.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the police officers who assaulted two young men believed to be students of the Imo State University, IMSU, have been nabbed.

They are now facing an orderly room trial, the state command has said.

SaharaReporters on Friday reported that the policemen physically assaulted and brutalised the students of Imo State University (IMSU) for allegedly refusing to submit their mobile phones to the officers to be searched.

In a 45-second long footage of the incident, the police officers could be seen dragging and tearing the clothes of the victims while slapping, hitting and cutting them with a machete.

It was gathered from the video recorded by some residents of the area that the police officers who operated in a deep red Toyota Sienna minivan stormed the compound where the students live and started brutalising them without explaining what their offences were.

Reacting to the incident, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, had said the state police command was aware of the incident and that investigation was ongoing to identify the officers. 

In a fresh update, the Police Public Relations Officer of Imo State, ASP Henry Okoye disclosed that the cops had been identified and were now facing disciplinary actions.

“Upon diligent observation of this viral obscene video, the officers were identified to be a detachment of one of the Command’s Tactical teams comprising of six (6) Police Officers led by Inspector SUNDAY AMADI who unfortunately was seen in the video assaulting the suspects with a cutlass with a ‘Cutlass’ which is not one of Police accoutrement while trying to apprehend them on 20/04/2023 at about 1400hrs.

“They have defaulted for Discreditable/Unprofessional Conduct, Improper Dressing, Incivility to and Assaulting the duo suspects namely; Ikechukwu Ajiegbu ‘m’ and Ugochukwu Ajiegbu ‘m’ who were allegedly seen in an identified hard drug black-spot situated at Uretta, Owerri, unlawfully in possession of weeds suspected to be Cannabis Sativa and ‘Crystal Meth’ hard drug. I.e. methamphetamine aka ‘Mpuru Mmiri’.”

“While the investigation continues, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, who is a disciplinarian and defender of fundamental human right has ordered that prompt Orderly Room Trial should commence against the erring officers and that necessary disciplinary actions be taken if found guilty.

“Members of the public are advised to remain calm as further development on the orderly room trial and disciplinary actions will be communicated back to them”, he stated.