Port Harcourt (Nigeria): The Police Command in Rivers has arrested Insp. Victor Okus for allegedly shooting his colleague, Insp. Ibrahim Sani was sentenced to death in the state.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.
She said Okus, attached to 17 Police Mobile Force (PMF) and on special duty at Intels Logistics Company, Onne, was currently in police custody.
According to her, the incident occurred on Jan. 18 at about 1:20 p.m. at Next Cash and Carry Supermarket in the Trans Amadi area of Port Harcourt.
Iringe-Koko said the deceased and another officer, both attached to 14 PMF, Yola, were on joint guard duty with military personnel when the incident occurred.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Okus allegedly opened fire on his colleagues, who sustained gunshot injuries to the head and neck,” she said.
She added that the injured police officers were immediately rushed to the hospital, where Sani later died as a result of the injuries he sustained.
Iringe-Koko said the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the Military Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
She added that the second officer, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
“The suspect will face an orderly room trial to ascertain the motive behind the shooting and will subsequently be charged in court for possible prosecution if found culpable,” she said.
The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olugbenga Adepoju, to have ordered “a comprehensive and transparent investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting”.
Adepoju was also reported to have advised officers handling firearms to exercise utmost responsibility and prioritise the safety of colleagues and members of the public while on duty.
He stressed that professionalism and discipline must always be upheld to prevent avoidable tragedies.