The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a newly trained police constable accused of stabbing a man in Ise-Ekiti following a minor altercation involving his girlfriend and the victim’s son.
The arrest comes in the wake of public outrage triggered by a viral video shared by Priscillia Jerome, daughter of the victim, who alleged that the officer, accompanied by a fellow police colleague, stormed their home and violently attacked her father.
Confirming the incident on Friday, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, disclosed that the suspect—who is not yet a fully enlisted officer—has been taken into custody.
“The guy has been arrested and is presently in detention. The issue involves boyfriend and girlfriend matters truly,” CP Eribo told SaharaReporters.
“But that guy is yet to be a police officer. He is one of the new constables we just trained—about to recruit. You know if someone just got a military appointment, there is always this unnecessary feeling. We even thank God that we have not given these kinds of people guns. Only God knows what he would have used it to do.”
When asked whether the suspect would be dismissed from service, CP Eribo stated that such a decision would be made after a full investigation.
“Leave the decision to us and that will be after we conclude our investigation on the matter,” he added.
According to Priscillia’s account, the dispute began at school, where the officer’s girlfriend had an argument with her younger brother. The girlfriend later informed the constable, who allegedly visited the family home with another officer under the pretense of making an arrest. When they found only Priscillia’s father and elder brother at home, the situation escalated into violence.
“After going home to go and stab my dad, with his fellow police officer, reason being that his girlfriend was having an argument with my brother at school. They went home to go and deal with my brother. On getting to our home, they did not meet my brother, they met my dad and the elder brother and they brought out a knife to stab my dad,” she said in the video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
She further criticized the police for their initial inaction, saying the officer remained in uniform and on duty even after the incident.
In response to the viral video, the Ekiti State Police Command released an official statement confirming the assault and subsequent arrest.
“The Ekiti State Police Command has noticed a video circulating on social media where a young girl… was complaining that her father was stabbed in his palm by a policeman serving in Ise-Ekiti due to an argument that ensued between her brother and the policeman’s girlfriend,” said SP Abutu Sunday, the command’s spokesperson.
He confirmed that Commissioner Eribo had ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to handle the case.
“Meanwhile, the officer in question has been taken into custody for investigation and other necessary actions,” SP Sunday added.
The case remains under investigation as public calls for accountability continue to grow.
