The Imo State Police Command has arrested two personnel of the Imo State Vigilante Organisation over the alleged assault of a young woman and her brother in Okigwe.
The incident, which was captured in a video circulating widely on social media, reportedly occurred as the siblings travelled to Abia State University.
The suspects were identified by the police as Ejiogu Nchekwube and Caleb Onyebuchi. The command stressed that the armed men seen in the footage were not police officers but personnel of the state vigilante organisation.
The two suspects are being held at the Okigwe Divisional Police Headquarters as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Abia State Police Command had earlier said the incident occurred in Okigwe, Imo State, and therefore fell within the jurisdiction of its Imo counterpart.
Abia police spokesperson DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka said preliminary findings from the area’s Divisional Police Officer indicated that the men were members of a community vigilante group. She added that the DPO had visited the scene and that the suspects had been apprehended.
The Imo Command later confirmed the arrests and said it was aware of the viral video. It assured the public that anyone found culpable would face appropriate action in accordance with the law.
Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso reaffirmed the command’s commitment to professionalism, accountability and respect for the rights of members of the public.
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information while the investigation continues,
