*Adjourns Case To September 22

A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the remand of two dismissed police officers in connection with the killing of 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo.

The officers, Corporal Alfred Louis and Corporal Michael Ejekwu, were arraigned on Thursday following their dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force over the incident. They were subsequently remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.

Obodo was shot dead on August 27, 2026, around the Ada George Junction area of Port Harcourt, sparking public outrage and demands for accountability over the conduct of the officers allegedly involved.

When the matter came before Chief Magistrate Helen Hardy, however, the charge was not read to Louis and Ejekwu and no plea was taken.

The magistrate instead ordered that the two former officers be remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.

Hardy also directed that the case file be forwarded to the Chief Registrar for reassignment and adjourned the matter until September 22, 2026, for plea and possible commencement of trial.

Two other police personnel were also linked to the incident, but they were not brought before the court alongside Louis and Ejekwu.

Following the proceedings, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch, Dr Chinedu Maduba, expressed concern that only two of the officers were produced in court despite three officers having reportedly been in police custody.

“We were not pleased when we saw two of the police personnel instead of three that have been in custody,” Maduba said.

He explained that after the remand proceedings, he contacted Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to seek clarification on why the third officer was not arraigned.

According to Maduba, the Commissioner explained that the officer was an Assistant Superintendent of Police and that his dismissal first required ratification by the Police Service Commission before he could be taken to court.

“And he explained that the other one that was not brought is an ASP and that, being an ASP, his dismissal has to be ratified by the Police Service Commission before they take him to court,” Maduba said.

“That is why he was not brought to court, but he gave his word that he and the Inspector-General of Police are in contact and that they are going to fast-track that dismissal and, with that, he can be brought to court.”

Maduba said the Police Commissioner assured him that the ratification process could be concluded within a week rather than the two to three months it would ordinarily take.

The NBA Port Harcourt chairman said the branch would continue to follow the case to ensure justice for all parties, including both the deceased and the accused officers.

“So we are still on the lookout for what would happen. Like we promised, we are following up this matter until we see that justice is done to everybody that is affected by this matter, including the persons being charged,” he said.

Maduba stressed that the accused officers were also entitled to due process and should have their guilt determined by a court rather than through public condemnation.

“They too are entitled to justice. Let them have their day in court and their guilt proved by the prosecution. That is what we are interested in, so that nobody will harm innocent citizens. That is why we are here,” he said.

The court proceedings came about 24 hours after three officers connected with the incident were paraded before journalists at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters in Port Harcourt.

Adepoju had said during the briefing that a fourth officer allegedly involved in the incident had absconded and had been declared a deserter, adding that the officer would face similar action when apprehended.

The remand of Louis and Ejekwu marks the beginning of formal court proceedings arising from Obodo’s death, although no plea has yet been taken and the allegations against the defendants remain to be proved by the prosecution.

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