The Nigerian police force has issued a statement about a viral video showing a crime suspect that was handcuffed to a police van. It was widely reported that the van driven by police officers was used to drag the suspect around before the video was taken.
A statement signed by the assistant commissioner of police, Abayomi Shogunle detailed the series of event that occurred on the day of the incident.
It reads;
The Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) has initiated an investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident including the police operations that led to the viral video showing a suspect handcuffed to a stationary police patrol vehicle in Benin-City, Edo State on Sunday 14th May 2017.
It is important to state that there is no frame in the 1:34″ video in circulation on various social media platforms that shows anyone being dragged by a police patrol vehicle as insinuated.
Preliminary investigations reveal that on Sunday 14.05.2017 at about 9:30 am, the Police at Esigie Division in Benin-City, Edo state received an information regarding congregation of suspected cultists in preparatory to the commissioning of a felony. Based on the information, a police team was dispatched to the scene where two male persons were arrested while others took to their heels. Upon searching the suspect seen handcuffed to the vehicle in the video, Indian hemp and cocaine were found on him. Both arrested suspects were then taken into the patrol vehicle and secured accordingly to prevent escape during transportation to the Police station. At a point along Sopkonba Road, Benin-City, a crowd tried to prevent the free passage of the patrol vehicle transporting the suspects. In the process, one of the suspects (one seen in the video) tried to escape by jumping off the back of the open pick-up patrol van but was restrained by the handcuff attaching him to the vehicle. A reinforcement was called and the suspects were eventually taken to the station.
Both arrested suspects including the one seen in the video (on the Right in photo below) are the ones in the attached photo, there is no sign of bodily injury on them.
Members of the public that witnessed the incident or with information other than what is already in public domain should please turn up at the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5 Benin-City where detailed investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding events that led to the video and allegations made therein.
The Nigeria Police Force under IGP Ibrahim Idris NPM, mni is determined to ensure that rights of every suspect is protected at all times. The public is assured that proven case of abuse of powers any police officer(s) would attract sanctions.
As we await the outcome of the investigations by AIG Zone 5 Benin-City, members of the public are enjoined to always cooperate with Nigeria Police Force units as police officers are out to ensure protection of lives and properties.
