On April 26, 2026, in Effurun, Delta State, a 28-year-old man named Mene Ogidi was shot and killed by police operatives attached to the Effurun Area Command.
- Ogidi was already restrained (hands tied/cuffed behind his back) and sitting on the ground.
- A viral video (under 2 minutes long) shows him pleading for his life in Pidgin English. He said he didn’t know anything, that a friend in the Sapele area had deceived him, and that he would cooperate and lead police to the friend if they took him there.
- Despite being fully restrained and unarmed at that point, an officer fired at close range the officer reload and fire a second shot.
- He was then taken away in a police vehicle. Reports vary slightly on whether he died on the spot or later (some say additional shots were fired at the station).
The video, which surfaced widely on social media around April 28–29, sparked massive public outrage across Nigeria due to the clear extrajudicial nature of the killing.
Police Account and Response
According to the Delta State Police Command:
- Operatives acted on intelligence that Ogidi was trying to “waybill” (send via transport) a parcel containing a Beretta pistol and four rounds of ammunition.
- He was apprehended based on that tip.
- However, the officer who led the team, ASP Nuhu Usman, violated police rules (specifically Force Order 237 and Standard Operating Procedures) by discharging his firearm on the already-restrained suspect instead of properly taking him into custody for investigation.
The Delta State Police Commissioner strongly condemned the act as extrajudicial.
Actions taken so far:
- ASP Nuhu Usman was quickly arrested.
- The command stated he (and possibly others involved) will be tried for murder.
- In one statement, police described the officer’s face being covered during arrest (for safety/protection reasons, as the video had already gone viral).
- Some police comments even suggested it might be linked to “spiritual attack” or unusual behavior, but the main line is that it was a clear violation.
The officer was reportedly not in full uniform in the video.
Public Reaction
Social media erupted with anger, with many Nigerians calling it a public execution of a defenseless man. Hashtags and calls for #JusticeForMeneOgidi trended. Civil society groups and activists demanded full prosecution of all officers involved, not just the shooter, and highlighted ongoing issues of police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Nigeria.This fits into broader, long-standing complaints about the Nigeria Police Force regarding unprofessional conduct, trigger-happy officers, and lack of accountability in some cases.
Current Status (as of latest reports)
- The officer has been arrested and faces disciplinary/murder charges.
- The case has been widely covered by outlets like Peoples Gazette, Premium Times, The Cable, Daily Post, and Channels TV.
- Investigations are ongoing, and the police say they are committed to prosecuting those responsible.
In summary: A suspect was caught based on a gun related tip, properly restrained, but then shot dead on the street while begging and cooperating. The police have acknowledged it as wrongful and arrested the main officer. Many see it as another example of police impunity. This is a tragic and disturbing case that rightly drew widespread condemnation.
Video below:
