The Imo State Police Command has detained four security personnel after a viral video showed a young man being forced into the boot of a vehicle during an operation at Human Race Road in Nekede, Owerri.

The incident, which reportedly occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 2, 2026, sparked widespread outrage on social media, prompting the Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, to order an immediate investigation into the officers' conduct.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, preliminary investigations revealed that the four personnel seen in the video comprised two police officers attached to the Nekede Divisional Headquarters and two Supernumerary Police Officers.

The officers were reportedly carrying out an operation at a suspected drug trafficking hotspot along Human Race Road, where they arrested two suspects. During the operation, substances suspected to be Cannabis Sativa were allegedly recovered from one of the suspects, who reportedly confessed to selling illicit drugs in the area.

Despite the outcome of the operation, the Command condemned the manner in which the suspect was arrested, describing the act of forcing him into the boot of a vehicle as unacceptable, inhumane, and a clear violation of the Nigeria Police Force's Standard Operating Procedures, Code of Conduct, and professional ethics.

"The manner in which one of the suspects was arrested and forced into the boot of a vehicle is unacceptable, inhumane, and completely not in conformity with the Standard Operating Procedures, Code of Conduct, and professional ethics of the Nigeria Police Force," the statement read.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police ordered the immediate detention of the four officers pending the outcome of investigations.

The case has also been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a comprehensive and impartial probe, while disciplinary proceedings have commenced against the officers involved. The Command assured the public that the outcome of the investigation would be made public upon its conclusion.

Reaffirming the Command's commitment to professionalism, CP Bosso assured residents that while the police remain determined to combat crime across the state, all policing operations must be conducted lawfully and with full respect for the rights and dignity of every individual.