The Anambra State Police Command has started looking into a clash between some of its officers and court bailiffs while they were enforcing a court order.
The incident involved police officers from B Division and was recorded in a video that has gone viral on social media, sparking reactions from the public.
In a statement released on Thursday, the police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said they are assessing the situation to find out what led to the confrontation.
Ikenga mentioned that the video going around online only shows part of what happened and does not give the full picture or what led to the incident.
He said initial findings suggest that the police were responding to a distress call about unidentified individuals and reported disturbances at a location in their area.
The statement read, "The Anambra State Police Command is aware of a video currently circulating on social media regarding an encounter between a Court Bailiff and Police Operatives from B Division, linked to the enforcement of a court order.
“The Command notes that the video does not show the entire incident and does not provide the complete circumstances or events leading up to the encounter. Therefore, we have started an assessment of the situation to uncover the facts.
“Preliminary information shows that the Police Operatives were responding to a distress call about unidentified persons and reported disturbances at a premises within the Division’s area.
“When they arrived, the officers found some people trying to evict others and remove their belongings. While trying to find out who these people were and what they were doing, the officers approached them and asked for proper identification. During this interaction, there was a disagreement between the Police Operatives and some of the individuals present. These individuals later identified themselves as Court Bailiffs enforcing a court order.”
According to Ikenga, initial information also indicated that the police division had not been asked for security help before the enforcement began.
He said the officers, after learning that the individuals were court bailiffs acting under a court order, advised them on how to properly request police support during such actions before leaving the scene.
Ikenga emphasized that the command respects the authority and independence of the judiciary. He stressed that they are ready to provide lawful support for enforcing valid court orders when such help is properly requested.
He added that the command is dedicated to ensuring that enforcement actions are done peacefully and according to the law.
“The Command has taken note of the concerns raised by this incident and has involved relevant parties to establish the full facts and make sure this matter is handled professionally and fairly, following the law.
“The Command urges the public to stay calm and not jump to conclusions based on isolated video clips on social media, especially when such videos do not show the complete circumstances of an incident.
“The Command will share more updates as needed once the ongoing assessment is completed,” the statement concluded.
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