OLEH, Nigeria — A police patrol vehicle was set ablaze, and two officers reportedly shot by armed attackers in a shocking daytime assault on Sunday, July 23, 2023, at the bustling Oleh/Ozoro Roundabout.
The targeted officers belonged to the Police Dragon outfits, a specialized police division in Nigeria.
This violent incident comes barely a week after a police inspector, Jude Ukpaka, attached to the Dragon Patrol 19 Team, was fatally shot along the Ogor/Evwreni section of the East-West road.
Attempts to get a confirmation from the Delta Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, were unsuccessful at the time of the report.
Messages sent to him remained unanswered.
An eyewitness to the attack, a commercial driver who frequently travels the route, described a scene of chaos.
He stated that all vehicles were forced to halt, and drivers and their passengers fled into nearby bushland as the attackers opened fire indiscriminately.
Although he was unable to confirm the condition of the shot officers at the scene, the driver did affirm that the assailants subsequently torched the police patrol van.
He added that another police vehicle arrived to transport the injured officers before they could emerge from the bushes.
The assailants’ ability to potentially seize police weapons and other items remains uncertain.
An unverified source said that the attackers arrived en masse and, after allegedly killing the two officers, they ignited the police patrol van.
This alarming incident underscores a rising wave of violence against law enforcement officers in the region, raising significant concerns about security and public safety.
Investigations will likely continue as the police force attempts to bring the assailants to justice.
Nigeria’s Police Service Commission Dismisses 3 Senior Officers, Demotes 5
To ensure accountability and ethical conduct within its ranks, the Police Service Commission, PSC, of Nigeria has sanctioned several senior officers for misconduct, according to a statement issued by the Commission.
The disciplinary measures include the dismissal of three officers and the demotion of five others.
The spokesperson for the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, announced these decisions on Thursday, July 20, 2023, following the conclusion of the commission’s 21st plenary meeting at its headquarters.
Solomon Arase, the commission’s chairman, presided over the meeting.
“The commission has decided to terminate the services of two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and one Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) due to serious misconduct,” Ani stated.
In addition, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), a Superintendent (SP), a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), and two Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) have been demoted for similar reasons.
The PSC’s disciplinary crackdown didn’t stop there. Fourteen officers received a severe reprimand, six received a standard reprimand, and seven others were given official warning letters.
In a display of balanced justice, the PSC also reinstated six officers who had previously been dismissed but had won favourable court judgments or had their cases reviewed favourably.
In a separate development, the commission earlier approved the appointments of two Deputy Inspectors General of Police: Mathew Akinyosola, who retired on July 1 this year, and Slyverster Abiodun Alabi, whose tenure started on the same day.
Alabi now represents the South West in the Police Management Team.
These changes are part of a broader reform effort within the Nigerian Police Force to uphold the highest standards of conduct and accountability.
