The Rivers State Police Command has officially dismissed three police officers following an internal orderly room trial that established their culpability in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Anthony Obodo, a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
​The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, announced the disciplinary measures on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, during a media briefing at the Command Headquarters on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, where the dismissed personnel were publicly paraded before journalists.
​The tragedy unfolded on Thursday, August 27, 2026, around the Agip Junction along Ada George Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Reports indicate that a patrol team attempted to intercept a vehicle driven by Obodo.
When the vehicle failed to stop immediately, the patrol officers initiated a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, Corporal Alfred Louis opened fire on the vehicle, striking Obodo.
​Obodo, who had recently completed his degree and was awaiting mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, was rushed to Palmer’s Hospital in Port Harcourt. However, the attending physician declared him dead upon arrival.
In the immediate aftermath, angry onlookers attacked Corporal Louis and temporarily dispossessed him of his service rifle before reinforcing officers intervened to recover the firearm.
​Following an immediate investigation handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), CP Adepoju confirmed the following actions taken members of the patrol team, including Corporal Alfred Louis, have been stripped of their ranks and dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force. They will be formally arraigned in court to face criminal charges.
Inspector Solomon Nworgu, who allegedly abandoned his post and fled the scene following the shooting, has been officially declared a deserter. Active manhunts are underway to secure his arrest.
​The incident sparked days of intense civil unrest, with aggrieved youths, family members, and residents staging protests along Ada George Road to demand accountability.
The deceased’s father, Princewill Obodo, vehemently refuted claims attempting to link his son to cybercrime. He further alleged that the officers involved had abandoned an assignment providing security at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt prior to the fatal encounter.
​Condemning the incident as reprehensible and unprofessional, CP Adepoju emphasized that the command will not shield any officer who acts outside the boundaries of the law, reassuring the public of the police force’s commitment to transparency, human rights, and justice.
