By ALO Editorial Board
Outrage, condemnation, and protest have followed the recent dastardly act by an assistant superintendent of police, Nuhu Usman, who, in broad daylight, murdered Mene Ogidi, a suspect reportedly arrested for illegal possession of firearms.
The incident, said to have occurred on Sunday, April 26, came to public attention after Harrison Gwamnishu shared a video of the killing, which has since gone viral. According to his account, Ogidi had been contacted by a friend in Sapele, Delta state, to help collect a waybill at Benin Motor Park along the Warri–Sapele expressway. On arrival, transport union members reportedly intercepted the parcel said to contain a pistol and four rounds of ammunition and alerted the Effurun police command.
What followed is now etched in public memory.
In the viral footage, Ogidi had been overpowered, tied, and made to sit on the ground. He pleaded with the officers, offering to lead them to the sender of the parcel. But in a shocking turn, one officer, later identified as Nuhu Usman, changed the magazine of his rifle and shot him.
Gwamnishu, in a subsequent interview with News Central, said Ogidi did not die instantly. He was taken to the police station, where the same officer allegedly returned and fired additional shots at him.
A number of troubling questions arise. Why kill a suspect who did not attempt to flee? Or execute a man willing to cooperate and potentially aid further investigation? Why foreclose the possibility of justice by taking the law into one’s hands?
Even more disturbing are the circumstances surrounding the officer’s conduct. Reports suggest that Usman was not on duty, yet insisted on accompanying the team. His appearance, described as rough and unprofessional, raised further concerns about discipline and accountability within the force.
While the inspector-general of police, Tunji Disu, must be commended for the swift action taken, including the dismissal of the officer and directive for prosecution, that is only the first step. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done. The process must be transparent. It must be swift. Nigerians have seen too many cases fade once public attention shifts. This must not be one of them.
A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
This incident is not isolated. It reflects a deeper, systemic problem. The #EndSARS protests of 2020 were fuelled by similar abuses — extrajudicial killings, unchecked brutality, and a culture of impunity within the police. To treat this as a one-off event is to ignore the warning signs.
Equally troubling is the attempt by the Delta state police spokesperson, Bright Edafe, to attribute the act to “spirituality”. That explanation is both dismissive and dangerous. Nigeria is not the only country with spiritual beliefs, yet functioning systems across the world rely on law, not mysticism, to enforce justice. This is not a matter of spirits; it is a matter of responsibility, discipline, and accountability.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has rightly condemned the killing, describing it as a “misguided show of power” that undermines the rule of law. But condemnation alone is not enough. The NBA must go further by actively monitoring the prosecution, offering legal support where necessary, and ensuring that the process is not derailed.
The media, too, has a duty. It must keep the spotlight on this case until justice is served. Silence and forgetfulness are often the allies of impunity.
This is not the kind of police force any society should tolerate. Trigger-happy officers have no place in a system meant to protect lives. The badge is not a licence to kill.
Time is ticking. The Nigerian state must act decisively, not just to punish one officer, but to begin the long-overdue process of sanitising the police force.
The murder of Mene Ogidi must not be swept under the carpet.
