Police officer is facing murder prosecution after a video circulating widely on social media showed him shooting dead a restrained, unarmed suspect who was crying and begging for his life.
The Shooting in Cold Blood
The incident occurred on Sunday in Effurun, Delta State. The video, which runs under two minutes, shows 28-year-old Mene Ogidi sitting on the ground with his hands tied behind his back, pleading with officers not to shoot him.
In the footage, Ogidi can be heard making a desperate appeal in Pidgin English. “Officers, abeg, I go tell you everything. Na my friend deceive me. E dey Sapele. I go carry you go the place,” he begged, telling the officers that a friend based in Sapele had set him up and that he would lead them to the location.
As he pleaded for his life, one of the officers — dressed in civilian clothing — cocked his rifle and fired directly at Ogidi. The officers then proceeded to load his lifeless body into a police vehicle. The vehicle bore the inscription: “The Nigeria Police Force Effurun Area Command, Uvwie.”
The Officer Identified
The Delta State Police Command confirmed that the shooting occurred on April 26, 2026, in Effurun. According to police spokesperson Bright Edafe, operatives had received credible intelligence that Ogidi had been apprehended while allegedly attempting to waybill a parcel containing a Beretta pistol loaded with four rounds of ammunition.
“The police officer leading the team, ASP Nuhu Usman, in clear violation of Force Order 237 and the Standard Operating Procedure of the Nigeria Police Force, discharged his firearm, leading to the death of the suspect,” Edafe stated.
Usman was subsequently arrested and transferred to the State Police Headquarters in Asaba for disciplinary action, before being moved to Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he will appear before the Force Disciplinary Committee — currently in session — for immediate sanction and prosecution.
“No Explanation for Why He Shot Him”
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer went further than the written statement, describing the incident as one of the most difficult he had encountered in his career.
“There’s no explanation for why he shot the suspect. This is not only difficult for the police force but for all of us involved in this. The shooting of a restrained suspect goes against everything we stand for,” he told Channels Television.
The PPRO also confirmed that the officer and others involved would face murder charges, signalling the state command’s intent to pursue criminal prosecution beyond internal disciplinary proceedings.
Force Headquarters Weighs In
The response extended to the national level. Force Public Relations Officer Anthony Placid confirmed that the Inspector-General of Police had ordered the immediate transfer of Usman and his entire team, adding: “The Nigeria Police Force maintains a zero-tolerance stance on extra-judicial actions, abuse of authority, and any conduct that undermines public trust.”
Placid said the Inspector-General had also extended condolences to the family of Mene Ogidi and pledged that justice would be served.
Public Fury, Old Wounds
The video continued to circulate across social media platforms on Tuesday, deepening public anger and reigniting long-running calls for structural reforms and independent oversight of Nigeria’s police force — a body that has faced persistent accusations of brutality, particularly in the years since the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Rights groups have demanded not only the prosecution of ASP Usman but a broader review of how firearms protocols are enforced across police units operating in plain clothes and without body cameras.
The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, said the command was fully committed to ensuring justice and extended condolences to the Ogidi family. No trial date has yet been announced.
