Outrage as Rights Group Demands Public Trial Over Alleged Police Extrajudicial Killing in Delta State

(Handcuffed Suspect. Photo Credit: Facebook)

The Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force have been urged by Avocats Sans Frontières France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders, to guarantee complete transparency and the public prosecution of an officer, ASP Nuhu Usman, regarding the alleged extrajudicial killing of Mene Ogidi, a 28-year-old suspect.

The human rights organization denounced Ogidi's summary execution, which apparently occurred on April 26, 2026, in Effurun, Delta State, in a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the Country Director, Angela Uwandu-Uzoma-Iwuchukwu.

The group pointed out that reports and a widely shared video of the incident showed that the Effurun Area Command-affiliated officer had executed the victim illegally.

ASF France claims that the murder is a "total collapse of due process" and a flagrant violation of the fundamental right to life protected by Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution (as modified).

"Mene Ogidi's summary execution is a flagrant violation of the fundamental right to life protected by Section 33 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution and a complete collapse of due process." It also transgresses Section 36's Presumption of Innocence concept, which declares categorically that every citizen is innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of competent authority.

"Killing a person in this way is against Nigeria Police Force Order 237 and the rules of engagement, an internal regulation which strictly limits the use of firearms to extreme situations where there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury,” the statement read.

“…This act violates regional and international legal frameworks, including Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), both of which strictly prohibit the arbitrary deprivation of life by state actors.”

The group emphasized that the victim in the social media video had his hands and legs bound and was not a direct threat to anyone when he was shot.

The Country Director of ASF France acknowledged that the officer in question had been arrested, but emphasized that this was only the beginning of the responsibility needed to meet the demands of justice.

In order to guarantee that the offender bears the full consequences of the law, the organization insisted that the authorities go beyond internal disciplinary actions to a formal prosecution in a court of law.

Additionally, they encouraged the government to provide a clear route to justice for the victims family of the deceased. and demanded a prompt and unbiased investigation into the entirety of the shooting's circumstances.

"Assure transparency by carrying out a prompt, unbiased investigation into the entirety of the shooting's circumstances." To make sure the offender faces the full force of the law, go beyond internal disciplinary actions and pursue a legal prosecution in a court of law. Provide assistance and a clear route to justice for Mene Ogidi's bereaved family," the statement said.

Extrajudicial killings undermine public confidence and undermine the basis of a democratic society, ASF France cautioned, adding that it will keep a careful eye on the legal proceedings to make sure the case does not result in impunity.