Police detain four officers who forced man into vehicle boot

Police in Imo State, southeastern Nigeria, have detained four officers filmed forcing an unidentified man into the boot of a car. The video clip, which circulated widely on Facebook, shows the officers struggling with the man before pushing him into the vehicle's trunk and locking him inside.

The state's police spokesman, Henry Okoye, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Monday. He said the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on Sunday on Human Race Road in Nekede, Owerri, the state capital. The Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, ordered an immediate investigation upon learning of the incident.

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The manner in which one of the suspects was arrested and forced into the boot of a vehicle is unacceptable, inhumane, and completely not in conformity with the Standard Operating Procedures, Code of Conduct, and professional ethics of the Nigeria Police Force.

Preliminary findings indicate the officers included two attached to the Nekede Divisional Headquarters and two supernumerary police officers. They were reportedly conducting an operation targeting suspected drug trafficking, during which two suspects were apprehended. Substances believed to be Cannabis Sativa were recovered from one suspect, who admitted to selling illicit drugs in the area.

Despite the operation's objective, the Imo State Police Command strongly condemned the officers' actions as unacceptable, inhumane, and contrary to the Nigeria Police Force's standard operating procedures and code of conduct. The four officers have been detained, and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation. Appropriate disciplinary actions have commenced against the officers involved, with assurances that the investigation's outcome will be made public.

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Notwithstanding the outcome of the operation, the Imo State Police Command unequivocally condemns the unprofessional conduct of the personnel as captured in the viral video.