The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Adewale Adepoju, has announced the removal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) responsible for the Abali Park area, following the assault of journalists during the #TakeItBack protest in Port Harcourt on Monday, April 7, 2025.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Friday, CP Adepoju offered an unreserved apology to the journalists involved and the union, describing the incident as unacceptable.
He emphasized the importance of the media as critical partners in maintaining law and order and expressed his commitment to ensuring a healthy working relationship between the police and the press.
“I learned that some journalists were harassed and embarrassed, and I was not pleased about it. I saw the NUJ’s statement expressing their displeasure, and after reviewing the situation, I shared in their concerns,” Adepoju said. “We’ve always had a good relationship with the press, and there’s no reason for confrontation.”
Adepoju explained that initial reports claimed the officers were responding to a barricaded road and were under attack during the protest. However, investigations revealed no evidence to support those claims.
“There was a DPO on duty that day, but he failed to provide any proof that the road was blocked or that officers were attacked. All I saw were images of officers using tear gas on civilians. One officer was even seen firing into the crowd — that officer is now in detention, along with others being investigated,” he stated.
The Commissioner confirmed that the DPO had been removed the same day and reiterated that all officers found to have acted unlawfully would face appropriate disciplinary actions.
“I’m here today with my management team to say we are sorry. What happened is not acceptable and does not reflect our values. If any force is to be used, it must be justified and lawful — that was not the case here.”
Responding to the apology, NUJ Chairman in Rivers State, Paul Bazia, commended the CP for taking swift action and acknowledged the removal of the DPO as a step in the right direction. However, he urged the police to go further.
“We appreciate the action taken, but we ask that the officers involved, especially those seen in video footage harassing journalists, be held accountable under the law,” Bazia said.
He also called for formal, written apologies to be sent to the affected journalists and their respective media organizations, adding that such gestures would help restore trust and ensure future cooperation between the media and the police.
“We hope this serves as a lesson and prevents such incidents from happening again so that we can continue to enjoy a peaceful working relationship.”