By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has ordered disciplinary action against three officers attached to the 3-3 Police Station following allegations that an armed robbery suspect arrested and brought to the station could no longer be accounted for.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, ordered the issuance of queries to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), while directing the immediate commencement of disciplinary proceedings against an Inspector of Police.
The directives followed a viral video alleging that a suspected armed robber who had been arrested and taken to the station was subsequently unaccounted for, raising questions about the handling of the suspect and the responsibilities of the officers involved.
According to a statement issued on October 6 by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the commissioner gave the directives on October 5 after personally interviewing the complainant and the officers concerned over the allegation.
CP Ama described the matter as serious, warning that allegations of this nature could undermine public confidence in the Police, particularly where questions arise over the handling and custody of arrested suspects.
He stressed that the Command would not tolerate unprofessional conduct, dereliction of duty, abuse of office or any compromise of established police procedures, regardless of the rank of the officer involved.
The commissioner has also directed the Command’s X-Squad to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s arrest, detention, documentation and subsequent whereabouts.
The investigation is expected to establish what happened after the suspect was brought to the station and determine the respective responsibilities of the officers involved.
Ama further disclosed that operational measures had been put in place to facilitate the suspect’s arrest, although the statement did not provide further details about the measures or the suspect’s identity.
The Command assured members of the public that it would communicate the outcome of the investigation once the facts had been established.
While urging the public to allow the investigation to proceed, the commissioner cautioned against circulating unverified information that could prejudice the process, insisting that the facts must be established through due process.
He reiterated that accountability remained central to his leadership of the Command and that no police officer was above scrutiny or the established disciplinary process.
