Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed three officers linked to the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) graduate, Anthony Obodo, following the conclusion of an investigation that established their culpability in the incident. The command also declared a fourth member of the team, an inspector who fled after the shooting, a deserter.
Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju paraded the dismissed officers before newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, stating that they had been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and would be charged to court. "The Command has taken appropriate disciplinary action against the police personnel involved, and the officers being paraded today have been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and will be charged to court," Adepoju declared.
The killing occurred on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when Obodo was allegedly shot dead at a police checkpoint at Agip Junction along Ada-George Road in Port Harcourt. The Rivers State Police Command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident, saying an altercation occurred between Obodo and the police officer before the shooting. The officer involved was identified as Corporal Alfred Louis. Two passers-by also sustained injuries during the incident.
The shooting sparked multiple protests, with angry youths blocking Agip Road and demanding justice for the deceased. The protesters described Obodo as one of the brightest young people from the Agba-Ndele community in Emohua Local Government Area. Speaking to journalists after a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Obodo's father, Princewill, alleged that his son was deliberately targeted and that the police officers involved had been paid to kill him. Princewill, who is the Vice-Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers East Senatorial District, also alleged that the officers had initially been deployed to provide security at the Nigerian Bar Association conference before being redeployed to the area where his son was killed.
The police have yet to publicly respond to the latest allegations by the deceased's father. However, the dismissal and planned prosecution of the three officers represent a significant step in the pursuit of justice for the slain graduate. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Port Harcourt. As the legal process unfolds, the family of Anthony Obodo and the Rivers State community await the outcome, hoping that the dismissal will be followed by a conviction that serves as a deterrent to police brutality.
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