Rivers Police Dismiss Three Officers Over Fatal Shooting of UNIPORT Graduate
The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed three officers implicated in the fatal shooting of University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo. Following an investigation and orderly room trial, the officers will now face criminal prosecution, with protests continuing to demand accountability for the incident.
The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed three officers found culpable in the fatal shooting of Anthony Obodo, a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, along Ada George Road in Port Harcourt on August 27.
Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju announced the disciplinary action on Wednesday, following the conclusion of an orderly room trial into the incident that sparked protests and widespread demands for accountability.
He said the dismissed officers would also face criminal prosecution, stressing that the police would not protect personnel found to have abused their authority or acted outside the law.
According to police accounts and witness statements, Obodo was driving a tinted Lexus when a patrol team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Fabian Kpeanabari attempted to stop him after he allegedly failed to pull over immediately.
The officers reportedly pursued the vehicle, during which Corporal Alfred Louis opened fire, striking Obodo, who was taken to Palmer’s Hospital in Port Harcourt and later pronounced dead, while two passers-by were also injured.
Three members of the patrol team were arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department as investigations proceeded, while Inspector Solomon Nwrogu, who allegedly fled the scene, has been declared a deserter and remains wanted.
Obodo’s death triggered protests by youths and community members from Ndele and other areas, with demonstrators blocking sections of Agip Road and the East-West Road near Ada George while demanding justice and rejecting suggestions that the victim was responsible for the incident.
The protests and public outrage intensified calls for the officers to be prosecuted and for the circumstances surrounding the shooting to be fully established.
Adepoju reaffirmed the command’s commitment to professionalism, human rights and accountability, saying the disciplinary action demonstrates that police officers are not above the law.