By EJIRO OFOYE

The tragic killing of 28-year-old Mene Ogidi in Effurun, Delta State, allegedly by ASP Nuhu Usman, is not just another entry in Nigeria’s growing list of extrajudicial killings—it is a stark reminder that the promise of police reform remains painfully unfulfilled. What happened in Effurun is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a deeper institutional failure—one that demands not only accountability for the officer involved but also urgent administrative action, including the redeployment of the Area Commander, ACP Shaba.

Available reports indicate that Ogidi was shot dead on April 26, 2026, in circumstances widely described as extra-judicial. The Nigeria Police Force has since acknowledged the incident, arrested the officer involved, and initiated disciplinary procedures. The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Disu, has reportedly ordered that the matter be treated with the seriousness it deserves, including prosecution where necessary.

While these steps are commendable, they are insufficient if they fail to address the systemic environment that enabled such a tragedy to occur.

Beyond the immediate facts of the case lies a deeper concern—one that many residents of Effurun and its environs have quietly expressed over time. There is a growing perception that certain officers operate with little restraint, emboldened not just by the power of their office but by the absence of visible consequences. Where such a perception takes root, it erodes public confidence and creates a dangerous distance between the police and the people they are sworn to protect.

The question that must be asked is simple: how did a police officer become emboldened enough to take a civilian life outside the bounds of the law?

For many Nigerians, the answer lies in a culture of impunity that has plagued policing for decades. From the abuses of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to repeated cases of unlawful killings across the country, there is a troubling pattern. The End SARS protests were born out of widespread allegations of torture, extortion, and extra-judicial executions by law enforcement officers. Yet, years after those protests shook the nation and drew global attention, incidents like the killing of Ogidi suggest that little has changed beneath the surface.

There is also the human dimension that must not be lost in legal and administrative language. Mene Ogidi was not just a statistic—he was a son, a member of a community, a young man whose future has now been permanently erased. Each time such an incident occurs, it leaves behind not only grief but also anger and a lingering sense of injustice that can fester if not properly addressed.

Policing is not a freelance enterprise. Officers operate within a chain of command, and accountability must travel upward as well as downward.

This is where the role of ACP Shaba, the Area Commander of Effurun, becomes critical. By every indication, he is not a novice officer. Reports and public records suggest that before his elevation to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, he had served as a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the same operational environment and was even decorated with recognition as one of the best-performing DPOs in the country. That trajectory, ordinarily, should inspire confidence.

However, it also raises legitimate concerns in the present circumstance. The transition from DPO to Area Commander—especially within the same geographical command—demands a higher level of detachment, oversight, and discipline. Where an officer rises rapidly within the same command structure, there is always the risk of entrenched loyalties, over-familiarity with subordinates, and a diminished capacity to enforce accountability without fear or favour.

More troubling is the perception that the very structure of the Area Command may have evolved around that prior leadership, creating an environment where authority is concentrated but not sufficiently checked. In such a setting, the line between command and control can blur, and officers may begin to operate with a sense of protection rather than responsibility.

It is in this context that the call for ACP Shaba’s redeployment becomes both necessary and compelling. This is not about discrediting past achievements or diminishing professional accolades. Rather, it is about recognising that effective policing requires not only competence but also institutional distance—especially when serious allegations arise under a commander’s watch.

Redeployment, in this case, serves multiple purposes. It removes any perception of interference in the investigation, allows for an independent review of operational conduct within the Effurun Area Command, and sends a clear signal that leadership positions are not shields against accountability. It also helps to calm public tension and reassures the community that the system is responsive and self-correcting.

In situations such as this, administrative measures like redeployment are not punitive in themselves; they are stabilising tools. It is a necessary step to restore public confidence, ensure an unbiased investigation, and signal that the police hierarchy takes institutional accountability seriously.

Nigeria has witnessed too many cases where initial outrage is followed by silence, and justice fades into bureaucratic obscurity. This must not be one of those cases.

The ongoing disciplinary process against ASP Nuhu Usman must be transparent. The prosecution must be swift. The findings must be made public. Anything less would reinforce the dangerous perception that justice in Nigeria is selective. Moreover, the family of Mene Ogidi deserves more than condolences—they deserve truth, accountability, and closure.

The Nigeria Police Force stands at a crossroads. Incidents like this deepen the already fragile trust between citizens and law enforcement. If the institution is serious about reform, then it must go beyond reactive measures. There must be strict enforcement of rules of engagement, independent oversight mechanisms, regular psychological and ethical evaluation of officers, and clear consequences for abuse of power.

More importantly, there must be a deliberate effort to rebuild community policing structures where citizens feel safe to engage with law enforcement without fear. Trust is not commanded—it is earned through consistent conduct, fairness, and respect for human rights.

The killing of Mene Ogidi is more than a local tragedy—it is a national test. It will reveal whether Nigeria has truly learned from its past or whether it remains trapped in it. Justice, in this case, must not be negotiated, delayed, or diluted. It must be firm, visible, and decisive.

Anything less would not only fail the memory of Mene Ogidi—it would embolden the next trigger finger.

•Dr Ofoye, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.