The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed three police officers found culpable in the killing of a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo, during an incident at the Agip-Ada George Junction in Port Harcourt.
The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, announced the disciplinary action on Wednesday while parading the three dismissed officers before journalists in Port Harcourt.
According to the Commissioner, the decision followed the conclusion of investigations into the circumstances surrounding Obodo’s death and the establishment of the culpability of the officers involved. He said the dismissed personnel would not only lose their positions in the Nigeria Police Force but would also face criminal prosecution.
“The officers being paraded today have been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and will be charged to court,” Adepoju said.
The Command also declared an Inspector who allegedly fled the scene after the shooting a deserter. The officer reportedly left the location of the incident following the fatal shooting, prompting the Police Command to declare him wanted within the Force for abandoning his duty and allegedly absconding from the scene.
The disciplinary action came less than a week after Obodo was shot dead on August 27, 2026, at the Agip-Ada George Junction in Port Harcourt. The incident generated widespread public outrage and protests, with family members, youths and other residents demanding accountability over the circumstances that led to the young graduate’s death.
According to accounts from witnesses and members of Obodo’s family, police officers reportedly flagged down the vehicle he was driving and pursued him after he did not immediately stop.
The accounts alleged that the officers subsequently opened fire, resulting in Obodo sustaining the fatal gunshot injury. The Police Command, however, had said an altercation and scuffle occurred before the shot was fired.
Two other passers-by were also reportedly injured during the incident, further heightening concerns among residents over the manner in which firearms were used during the encounter.
Obodo, a recent graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, was said by his family to have had no connection with criminal activity. His family strongly rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing on his part and demanded that the circumstances surrounding his death be thoroughly investigated and that anyone found responsible be held accountable.
Following the shooting, protests erupted in parts of Port Harcourt as angry youths and community members took to the streets to demand justice. Sections of Agip Road and the East-West Road around Ada-George were reportedly blocked during the demonstrations, causing significant traffic disruptions in the area.
The protesters and members of Obodo’s family called for transparency in the investigation and demanded that the police officers involved be publicly identified, disciplined and prosecuted where found culpable. They also expressed opposition to any attempt to conceal the circumstances surrounding the death.
The Rivers State Police Command subsequently commenced an investigation into the conduct of the officers involved. The conclusion of the investigation has now resulted in the dismissal of three personnel, while the Inspector who allegedly fled the scene has been declared a deserter.
The Command said the three dismissed officers would proceed to face criminal prosecution, although the police have not yet disclosed the specific charges or the date of their arraignment. Their criminal liability will therefore be determined by a competent court in accordance with the law.
The development comes amid renewed scrutiny of police conduct, particularly the use of firearms during operations and encounters with members of the public. The dismissal of the three officers signals the Command’s stated position that personnel found to have acted unlawfully or outside professional standards would be subjected to disciplinary and legal consequences.
