By Pascal Ibe

Introduction

Cases of police brutality, extortion, extrajudicial killings and other unprofessional activities in Nigeria have continued despite sanctions by police authorities, such as dismissal from service.

The Nigerian government has acknowledged these problems and promised to address them in the past, but to date, abuses have continued with no real accountability.

In April,  an assistant superintendent of police, Nuhu Usma, aided by other operatives, allegedly shot and killed a suspect, Mene Ogidi, in Effurun, Delta State.

The police operatives have since been arrested, dismissed from service and and are undergoing trial.

Claim 

An X user, Somtolism7  (Daniel Sontochukwu) on 30 August, claimed (archived here) that “those police personnel that killed the waybill guy in Delta have been released 💔”

With over 100,000 views and hundreds of reactions and comments under the post, it suggests that many believe the claim.

Verification

First, there is no statement from the office of the Delta State Attorney General confirming the release of the dismissed police operatives.

When FACTWATCH Nigeria reached out to the police spokesperson in Delta on Sunday evening, Bright Edafe, a superintendent of police, debunked the claim immediately.

“It is false,” he said during a phone call discussion with FACTWATCH Nigeria.

Edafe blamed the rapid spread of misinformation on the X platform on monetisation.

“I don’t know why they monetised Twitter; this is clickbaiting. You people should not believe every rubbish on the X platform,” the police spokesperson advised this fact-checker.

In June, the Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba remanded Nuhu and four other dismissed police officers at the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre over the alleged extrajudicial killing of the 28-year-old suspect.

Till now, no credible news organisation in Nigeria has reported or confirmed the release of the dismissed operatives.

A journalist, Akpomejero Friday, who is based in Delta State, told FACTWATCH Nigeria that he and other journalists are yet to get any information or confirmation regarding the claim but promised to get back to us soon. But he is yet to do so as of the time of filing this check.

Verdict

Findings and response from the police authority have shown that the claim that operatives who allegedly shot and killed the suspect in April, have not been released.

Therefore the claim is FALSE.