Police detain officers who allegedly assaulted, gouged out man’s eye

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The police in Ebonyi State have arrested and detained some officers who allegedly assaulted and then gouged out the right eye of a man in the state.

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The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

How it happened

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred on Monday morning in Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

This newspaper also learnt that the victim, Arinze Eze, was returning from Ishieke to Ohaukwu with his motorcycle when the operatives flagged him down for routine search.

The officers were said to have demanded that Mr Eze should hand over his small bag to them which he declined, insisting that he be searched with the bag on his neck.

But one of the officers, identified simply as Kingsley, allegedly descended on him before others joined in the assault.

In the ensuing commotion, one of the officers allegedly hit the victim with the butt of his rifle which badly damaged the eye, forcing the eyeball out of its socket.

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Arrest and detention of the officers

Mr Ukandu, a superintendent of police, said in the Tuesday statement that the officers involved in the “altercation” with the victim were later “officially identified and detained” over the incident.

He said the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, Hope Okafor, has ordered the transfer of the officers to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at the police headquarters for investigation.

“The State CID has commenced a thorough and transparent investigation,” he stated.

Mr Ukandu said the police authorities in the state have extended their deepest sympathies to Mr Eze.

He said the victim was currently receiving medical treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, the state capital.

The spokesperson said the police in Ebonyi State maintain “zero tolerance for brutality, indiscipline or any misconduct that brings the Force into disrepute.”

“Any officer found culpable will face strict disciplinary action. We remain committed to protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens,” he assured.

Group reacts

A human rights group, Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) has condemned the incident.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Chairman of HURIDE, Sampson Nweke, demanded justice for the victim.

“While HURIDE strongly condemns every form of police brutality and continues to demand justice for Mr. Arinze, we also commend the Ebonyi State Police Command for its swift and proactive response.

“The prompt arrest and transfer of the officers involved demonstrate a commitment to accountability and due process,” he said.

“HURIDE therefore calls for a comprehensive, unbiased, and transparent investigation and demands that all those found culpable be held accountable in accordance with the law.”

Not the first time

Allegations of extortion, brutality, torture and extra-judicial against police operatives are not new in Nigeria.

In fact, 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 latest incident occurred less than two weeks after police in Imo State detained six other operatives who were filmed assaulting a young man in the state. 

In May, the Nigeria Police Force arrested and detained some police operatives who were filmed assaulting some passengers in Abia State, Nigeria’s South-east.

In April, a police officer, Nuhu Usman, and three others were filmed publicly shooting the handcuffed man to death in Delta State, South-south Nigeria. 

The erring officers were initially arrested over the matter and subsequently transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary action but being dismissed after their action was found to have constituted professional misconduct and abuse of office.

Earlier the same month, the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Yemi Oyeniyi, ordered the “orderly room trial” of two police officers for allegedly using a Point of Sales Machine to extort motorists inside a police station.

In March, some police officers in Anambra State illegally arrested, tortured and extorted N1.4 million from some Nigerians.

The money was later refunded to the victims following public outrage. 

Earlier in March, police in Anambra State arrested and detained six senior officers who allegedly tortured and extorted N200,000 from a trader in Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State. 

In February, three officers were dismissed over alleged kidnapping, extorting N1.7 million and car snatching in Imo, another state in the South-east.

In January, police operatives shot dead a private motorcyclist in Ebonyi State. 

In November 2024, police operatives from the Crack Squad in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State shot dead a labourer and critically injured three others in the state.

A similar incident happened in the same Abakaliki in 2018 when a police officer shot and killed a commercial motorcyclist for allegedly refusing to give him N50 bribe.

In August 2024, police operatives in Bayelsa State extorted N3 million from a Nigerian man at gunpoint.

The officers were subsequently arrested after the victim petitioned police authorities.

The police operatives later returned the N3 million to the victim, about three weeks later.