Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Less than a week after the Inspector‑General of Police, Olatunji Disu, dismissed Assistant Superintendent Nuhu Usman and five other officers for the extrajudicial killing of a handcuffed suspect, Delta State police are again at the centre of controversy. A viral video now circulating on social media appears to show police operatives fleeing the scene of a shooting in the Okuidiere‑Oviore‑Ovu community in Orerope, Okpe Local Government Area.
Local sources told reporters that the incident took place on the evening of Thursday, 30 April 2026, when a surveillance patrol team from the Orerokpe Division stopped a young man whom they suspected of possessing hard drugs. Witnesses alleged that the officers – said to be working alongside anti‑cult operatives – shot the man in his right leg without any apparent resistance. A video from the scene captured by a bystander shows the victim lying on the ground, bleeding heavily, as bystanders rushed to help him. The police officers had reportedly fled by the time the footage was taken, fearing an attack from angry youths who had begun gathering in the area.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was later taken to a hospital for treatment. A human rights group, the Initiative for Social Rights Concerns and Advancements (ISRCA), which operates under the name “No Justice, No Peace,” immediately condemned the incident. The group’s national coordinator, Comrade Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, said: “The primary duty of the police is to protect lives and property, not to harass or brutalise vulnerable members of society. This incident raises grave concerns, and it is imperative that the Nigeria Police Force and the Delta State Government take serious note of this situation.” The group urged the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyeniyi, to investigate the shooting and to identify the police team responsible.
But the police gave a different account. In a statement issued on Friday, 1 May 2026, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, categorically denied that any live ammunition had been fired. Edafe said that the patrol team had attempted to apprehend a suspected drug user at about 7:00 p.m. in the Okuodjedjere community. According to the police, the officers met resistance from some youths, creating a tense situation. In an effort to safely disengage and prevent the situation from escalating, the officers deployed smoke canisters – what the police described as “tear gas” – strictly as a crowd‑control measure. Edafe insisted that no live ammunition was discharged at any time. “Regrettably, during the process, one of the smoke canisters struck a civilian on the leg, resulting in injury. The victim was taken to the hospital, where he is currently receiving prompt medical attention,” the spokesperson said.
The police statement was greeted with scepticism by community leaders and rights activists who had already viewed the footage. In the video, the sound of what appears to be a single gunshot can be heard before the officers flee; the victim is also seen being shot, with an injury to the leg. However, the police have rejected the video as “misleading” and said that the injury was caused by a smoke canister that had been thrown.
The incident comes at a particularly explosive time for police‑community relations in Delta State. On 26 April 2026, a viral video showed ASP Nuhu Usman shooting a handcuffed and unarmed suspect, Mene Ogidi, to death in broad daylight at a motor park in Effurun. The killing sparked nationwide outrage, and a swift disciplinary process led to the dismissal of Usman and five other officers. The Inspector‑General of Police also ordered the prosecution of the dismissed officers for murder. Many Nigerians had hoped that the severity of the punishment would serve as a deterrent to other rogue officers. Yet the new allegation from Orerope suggests that, only days later, a similar pattern of aggressive, trigger‑happy policing may already be re‑emerging.
The Orerokpe divisional headquarters is located only about 30 kilometres from the Effurun Area Command where Ogidi was killed. In both cases, officers are alleged to have opened fire on suspects who were not presenting an imminent threat to life. In both cases, the officers reportedly fled the scene. And in both cases, the police version of events differs sharply from what witnesses have said.
Commissioner of Police Yemi Oyeniyi, who has ordered an investigation into the Orerope incident, said that the use of non‑lethal crowd‑control measures is permitted under clearly defined guidelines, but he warned that any misuse or deviation from established procedures would be dealt with decisively. He urged members of the public to disregard what he called the “false narrative” being circulated on social media and to rely on verified information from official police channels.
ISRCA, however, has demanded a transparent and independent inquiry. The group has also called on the Inspector‑General of Police to ensure that any officer found to have used excessive force, whether with live ammunition or with other devices, faces the same consequences as the officers dismissed for the Effurun killing.
The young man who was injured in Orerope remains in hospital as of Friday evening. His family has declined to speak to the press, but neighbours described him as a popular resident who “does not speak or consume alcohol” and who is not known to be involved in drugs. The police have said they are awaiting further medical reports before making any statement on the cause of the injury.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has not yet issued an official statement on the Orerope incident. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had earlier condemned the killing of Oghenemine Ogidi and demanded justice for his family. Human rights lawyers have now called on the governor to set up a civilian oversight committee to monitor police conduct in the state and to ensure that officers who violate the law are not allowed to continue serving.
For the people of Okuidiere‑Oviore‑Ovu, the question is no longer about one isolated shooting. It is about a system that, despite public outrage and high‑level orders, still cannot guarantee that a citizen can walk on the road without fear of being shot – or tear‑gassed – by the very force that is constitutionally mandated to protect them.
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