Enough of extrajudicial killings

The April 26, 2026 senseless short range public execution of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi by ASP Nuhu Usman of Effurun Area Command, Delta State, sparked massive public uproar across Nigeria, bringing again to the fore the menace of extrajudicial killings by police and other security personnel across the country. The cold-blooded execution of a restrained/bound suspect […]

The April 26, 2026 senseless short range public execution of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi by ASP Nuhu Usman of Effurun Area Command, Delta State, sparked massive public uproar across Nigeria, bringing again to the fore the menace of extrajudicial killings by police and other security personnel across the country. The cold-blooded execution of a restrained/bound suspect became a viral sensation.  

The suspect was earlier apprehended at the motor park for allegedly attempting to collect a waybill parcel containing a Beretta pistol with four rounds of ammunition. Without any proper arrest, investigation, arraignment and conviction, the suspect was summarily executed.

The incident added to the prevalent pattern of repeated and highlighted torture, arbitrary arrests, and executions linked to our security forces especially the police, and which has fostered public perception of impunity and limited accountability by uniformed personnel.

Generally, security forces have been implicated in extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances during raids and protests. Global Rights documented 848 extra-judicial executions nationwide between 2020-mid-2023. Breakdown shows 271 killed in 2020, 253 in 2022 and 127 in the first half of 2023.

Recent incidents show that on May 9, 2026, a security officer attached to Princess Sarah Hotel in Keffi, Nasarawa state, was reportedly shot during an altercation with a soldier attached to the 177 Guards Battalion under Operation MESA during a dispute involving the hotel’s Chief Security Officer and a commercial motorcyclist.

Last month, the Delta State Police Command launched investigation into a viral video alleging that the Ugborikoko Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Warri, along with his officers, stripped 15 women naked and forced them to endure 40 strokes of the cane over alleged confessions of prostitution.

Daily Trust condemns the violation of human rights and dignity of any citizen, under any guise, as it is inconsistent with the ethics, standards and core values of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) or any other security agency. No part of the nation’s security system should operate outside the bounds of law and reason.

But we commend the leadership of NPF for the prompt initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the “trigger-happy” police executor of citizen Mene Ogidi. But we quickly add that Nigerians have seen these swift reactions before where national outrage was followed with fast response and pledges of accountability and system reform, only for every other action to slowly fade into institutional amnesia. We, therefore, call on Inspector General of Police Tunji Disu, to use the incident to begin a new era where the unsettling use of lethal force against a suspect would never occur again.

Towards this, all officers found culpable must face disciplinary measures including diligent prosecution in order to serve as deterrent to others and also part of holding public officers accountable. In the same vein, superiors should also face reprimand for the consequences of the actions of their subordinates.

We also call on the leadership of security forces to begin mandatory training and retraining programmes on human rights for all personnel especially those who deal regularly with members of the public. The training should be reinforced by policy, supervision, and consequences as discipline can easily fail if defaulters face no repercussions.

In addition, they should also undergo thorough and periodic mental screenings. They must imbibe the fact they are servants of the people who swore on oath to serve on behalf of the state. Moreover, we insist that all personnel should be tested for substance abuse. In addition, there must be proper accountability for all arms and ammunitions as the propensity to shoot at random and at the least provocation is becoming an epidemic.

Also, the recruitment process into the security system must be fully professionalised. A politicised process that has been turned into patronage or where unsuitable candidates do bribe their way in will be far from professional. There should be pre-recruitment psychological evaluations for all candidates.

The reality is that the present system is flawed, as if the worst of us are being recruited to wage war against the people they ought to serve diligently. There should be conscious efforts to make them work for the people.

This newspaper demands that the police should indoctrinate all personnel with the provisions of Force Order 237 and the NPF Standard Operating Procedure on Firearms Use and how to enforce them without extra-judicial violations. To aid the effort, we call for amendment of all constitutional provisions and Police Order 237 to align with international human rights standards where lethal force is deployed only when strictly unavoidable – to protect life.

Nigerians look forward to the era when police brutality and extrajudicial killings shall seldom be an issue and where stricter adherence to rules of engagement becomes the norm.

Most importantly, Daily Trust calls for sustained political will and broader governance improvements that hold superiors accountable for patterns of abuse under their watch. Also, there should be compensation and justice for families of victims.

There should be no further shocks on the conscience of the nation as extra-judicial killings are symptoms of systemic failure to enforce rules and standards. They erode public trust, fuel anger against personnel and undermine the legitimacy of the state while reinforcing citizens’ negative attitude that security forces cannot effectively serve them.