The man was accused of killing a stray dog.

Three police officers who recently tortured a man to death for killing a dog were last week sacked after an orderly room trial found them guilty, the Borno police commissioner, Lawan Tanko, said on Tuesday.

The three dismissed officers, Sergeant Adewale (alias OC Gbale), Corporal Ezekiel and Corporal James are now being tried in the civil court for culpable homicide.

According to Mr. Tanko, the three policemen, who were instructors at the Mobile Police Training Camp, Gwoza, in Borno state, had subjected one Solomon Adamu, the son of the Training Camp’s civilian chaplain, Pastor Adamu, to corporal punishment against the order of the camp commandant.

The police boss said after reading the report of the Orderly Room trial of the three culprits, he immediately applied the rule of the police command which prescribes that offenders should be dismissed with dispatch.

“I have dismissed the policemen involved after reading the report on them from the Orderly Room trial.

“This is a pure murder case, and the police command will not like to be seen abating illegality.

“Though we heard that the father of the deceased young said he had forgiven them, but that is not the business of the police; we don’t condone unprovoked murder on the part of any of our officers and men. After their dismissal, the CID unit of our force will charge them to court at once. if the parent of the young man said they are letting them go, so be it,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr. Solomon had angrily maimed the stray dog for pestering him at the camp and eventually killed it. His seeming wicked act angered the three officers who pounced on him and subjected him to series of corporal punishments until the camp commandant reprimanded them and ordered that he should be released at once.

The officers who were fond of the dog probably continued to be angry at its death. They returned to their posts, dragged the deceased back to the camp and continued to punish him, until he died.

“An order had been given to the officers concern to release the man when they detained and punished him for allegedly killing a dog. And the recalcitrant policemen went behind and brought the man back and continued punishing him until he eventually died in their hands,” Mr. Tanko said.

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