By Onoja Baba, Nigeria
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of a suspect by a police officer in Delta State, describing the act as an abuse of power and a blatant violation of the Nigerian Constitution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), the NBA expressed deep disturbance over a viral video showing the killing of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi by an Assistant Superintendent of Police during an operation in Effurun on Monday.
The association said the incident, in which the officer reportedly shot the suspect despite his arrest, amounted to an arbitrary and misguided show of power.
It stressed that no law enforcement officer has the right to act as prosecutor, judge, and executioner.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is clear that every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction,” the NBA stated.
The NBA warned that such unlawful actions, if left unchecked, could deepen a culture of impunity and render fundamental human rights meaningless. It also noted that the viral video suggested other policemen may have aided or abetted the act, and therefore demanded that the investigation and prosecution extend to all officers involved.
While welcoming the arrest of the officer, ASP Nuhu Usman, and his transfer to Abuja for investigation, the NBA insisted that accountability must not stop with one individual.
It called for the swift and thorough prosecution of everyone connected to the killing.
The association has directed its Human Rights Committees in Warri, Effurun, and Udu to closely monitor the case to ensure justice is served.
The NBA further emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive police reforms, particularly in the areas of accountability and the use of force, to restore public confidence in law
enforcement agencies.
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