The Nigeria Police Force has terminated the employment of a police officer responsible for the fatal shooting of Alafuro Peterside in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Last month, 42-year-old Alafuro Peterside tragically lost his life when a police officer opened fire on him in the presence of his wife and children at a local beer establishment in Elekohia, a district within the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka, disclosed this development during a press conference held at the command’s headquarters on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt this past Tuesday.
CP Emeka added that the officer has been arraigned in court for the sake of justice.
It was also reported that the CP paraded seven police personnel involved in unprofessional conduct, exposed by a TikTok user who was defrauded of some amount of money.
The CP said, “In recent times, we have witnessed some bloggers, some Tiktokers, some Tweeters, that have been sending some malicious messages against the command.
“Some are unsubstantiated, but I want to assure you that the ones that are substantiated, we will get to the root of the matter.
“Standing here are policemen alleged by one Tiktoker recently, which went viral, of the activities of policemen that were unprofessional in their conduct.
“And to prove to you, as I’ve always said, that crime and criminality know no bounds. Whether you are a civilian or you are a policeman, if you commit a crime, you will be punished.
“To that effect, I’ve also assured you that we as police officers will always stand for things that are right. It doesn’t matter who comes to make a report, we will give you justice to the best of our ability.
“Investigation is ongoing into the allegation against them. We are not ready to cover anybody because the Inspector General of Police never sent anybody, the Commissioner of Police never sent anybody, and the AIG never sent anybody.
“So, if you get your heart burnt by doing what is not expected of you as a police officer, be assured that you will face the wrath of the law.
“You can’t be very sanctimonious to show that you can hold other people responsible as a law enforcer, and you can’t show it with your own self.
“We must live beyond the normal standard of discipline before we can enforce discipline on others.”
He noted that the policemen had been in detention since the moment they were arrested. He added that investigation is ongoing, and when that is concluded, the necessary disciplinary action will be taken against them.
The CP advised victims of police brutality and extortion to report to his office, rather than go online, which paints the Nigeria Police in a bad light, for the actions of “few bad eggs”.
