The Edo State Police Command has apprehended a police constable identified as Prince Chima, who is attached to the Department of Operatives (DOP), for allegedly threatening individuals in their residence with an AK-47 rifle. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Funsho Adegboye, revealed this information during a press briefing held in Benin City.
A press release issued by the Commissioner’s office and provided to the media by the command’s public relations officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, states that the constable will be put through an orderly room trial. The arrest followed the release of a widely shared video on April 7, 2024, which featured a young man brandishing an AK-47 rifle and threatening violence against people inside his home while wearing a blue T-shirt, black jogger pants, and blue palm slippers.
The command immediately ordered the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the X-Squad division to begin an investigation into the actions of the negligent police officer after seeing the widely shared video. The investigation’s goals were to start an Orderly Room Trial, a type of disciplinary procedure, and ascertain the constable’s mental health status through the command’s medical officer.
The police agents were able to apprehend the young man in the video through the use of technical intelligence during the course of the investigation. Later on, it came to light that he was employed by the Department of Operatives (DOP) as a police constable.
Commissioner Adegboye also revealed that during the interrogation, it was found that the offending police constable—Prince Chima, Force Number 534023 PC—had been trained at the Police Training School Ogida in Benin City and had been enlisted on January 10, 2020. He started his career as a police officer in the Edo State Police Command and was later assigned by the Department of Operations to Hon. Dan Orbih, the National Deputy Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the South.
Prince Chima, the constable, stated that he got into a fight with a young man who had come to charge his phone on April 7, 2024, while he was on duty at the Benin City Nipco Petrol Station on Siloko Road. The man insulted him, calling him a “smelling policeman,” which escalated the situation. The man left for his home after the manager of the gas station intervened. But Prince Chima trailed him home, which is what happened in the viral video.
Funsho Adegboye, the Commissioner of Police, praised the residents involved in the incident for their tact and patience in handling the situation. In addition to reiterating the Edo State Police Command’s commitment to upholding the law and preserving discipline, he gave them the assurance that the negligent officer would suffer the full consequences of his actions.
This incident serves as a reminder of the value of accountability within the police department as well as the necessity of providing law enforcement officers with the necessary training and mental health evaluations. The Edo State Police Command is still committed to protecting the citizens’ safety and security, and events such as these will not be accepted.
