Police Disarmed and Arrested For Killing a Bus Driver

Nigeria Police Force headquarters
| credits: naijarchives.com

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a policeman who killed a bus driver, David Legbaraa, at the Wimpey Junction, Ikwerre Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Ezike, who disclosed this on Saturday, said the erring policeman, Sergeant James Imhalu, was disarmed before being arrested and detained.

Ezike, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday, described the development as unacceptable and said a full investigation into the circumstance leading to the killing of the bus driver had begun.

He said, “On August 7, 2015 at about 12.20hrs at Wimpey Junction, Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, a policeman on stop and search duty shot and killed one David Legbaraa, ‘m’, 37 years of age, who was a bus driver in clearly unacceptable and avoidable circumstance.

“This action sparked off spontaneous protest from drivers, sympathisers and indeed members of the public who rightly saw the action of the policeman as unjustifiable. The protest spread to major highways and caused traffic dislocation and pains to members of the public.

“The policeman was promptly disarmed, arrested and detained while I ordered full-scale investigation into the circumstances and ramifications of the painful incident.”

The state police commissioner, who sympathised with the family of the deceased, said the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, had been briefed on the development and had ordered that the suspect be charged to court on conclusion of investigation.

In a related development, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, stated that Imhalu would be brought to justice.

Wike, who addressed thousands of protesters at Mile 4 Market Junction on Saturday, said the days of impunity were over.

The governor, who was on scheduled inspection tour of projects when he ran into the protesters, said, “I have just placed a call to the Commissioner of Police and I am assuring you that the policeman who killed this unarmed citizen will face justice.

“Do not take the laws into your hands; go home and allow me take the necessary action to ensure that justice is done.”