video clip seen by Newsmen on Thursday has captured the moment armed policemen attached to the “B” Division of the Nigeria Police Force, Awka, Anambra State command, assaulted and dragged a court bailiff executing a Warrant of Possession, tearing his clothes and attempting to forcibly seize the warrant.
SaharaReporters gathered that the Warrant of Possession was issued by a Chief Magistrates Court in the state capital.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, when one Franklyn Ifeanyi Onwuasoanya led others with the judiciary in Awka to execute the Warrant of Possession generated serious commotion.
It was learnt that as they were in the process of execution, a man arrived at the premises and introduced himself as the DPO of the “B” Division of the Nigeria Police Force in Awka. The police officer immediately ordered the bailiff to stop the execution and leave the premises.
However, in the absence of evidence of an order of a superior court, Onwuasoanya declined, and insisted that the execution must be completed.
Subsequently, the DPO reportedly called for backup. When it arrived, the policemen started assaulting the bailiff, tore his clothes and sought to use violence to forcibly confiscate the warrant from him.
In the video clip posted on X by former Chairman National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, several armed policemen were seen dragging one of the court officials, while those making the video were overheard saying in Igbo, “You are harassing a court bailiff who is on official duty. Beat all of us, we will reach the Force Headquarters. You are harassing a court bailiff on official duty.”
The court bailiff was also overheard saying, “Look at the court warrant we came with but the police DPO refused. I told him that we are court bailiffs but he ignored us. We didn’t come here illegally; look at the warrant we came here with.”
At a point, after another senior police officer saw that residents of the neighbourhood had started taking video recordings of the assault, he left one of the court officials that was being dragged around.
Reacting to the incident in his post, Odinkalu said the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has a duty to discipline the DPO.
“Inspector-General, @TunjiDisu1 Has a Duty to Discipline The DPO of @PoliceNG, ‘B’ Division, Awka, Anambra State,” he said.
He stated: “Yesterday, Franklyn Ifeanyi Onwuasoanya led Bailiffs with the judiciary in Awka, capital of Anambra State, to execute a Warrant of Possession issued by the Chief Magistrates Court in the State capital.
Inspector-General, @TunjiDisu1 Has a Duty to Discipline The DPO of @PoliceNG, “B” Division, Awka, Anambra State. Yesterday, Franklyn Ifeanyi Onwuasoanya led Bailiffs with the judiciary in Awka, capital of Anambra State, to execute a Warrant of Possession issued by the Chief Magistrates Court in the State capital. As they were in the process of execution, a man arrived at the premises and introduced himself as the DPO of the “B” Division of @PoliceNG in Awka. The Police Officer ordered the Bailiff to stop the execution & leave the premises. In the absence of evidence of an order of a superior Court, Mr. Onwusoanya declined. The police officer reportedly called for backup. When that arrived, they started assaulting the bailiffs, tore their clothes & sought to use violence to forcibly confiscate the warrant from them. It was at that point that one of them started recording the account. After this emission, @TunjiDisu1’s people may well decide to charge me under the Cybercrimes Act like they have done with my namesake in Enugu, instead of calling in their DPO in Awka to account for presuming that his uniform makes him a summary Court of Appeal.
— Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, CGoF (@ChidiOdinkalu) October 8, 2026
“As they were in the process of execution, a man arrived at the premises and introduced himself as the DPO of the ‘B’ Division of @PoliceNG in Awka. The Police Officer ordered the Bailiff to stop the execution & leave the premises. In the absence of evidence of an order of a superior Court, Mr. Onwusoanya declined.
“The police officer reportedly called for backup. When that arrived, they started assaulting the bailiffs, tore their clothes & sought to use violence to forcibly confiscate the warrant from them. It was at that point that one of them started recording the account.”
“After this emission, @TunjiDisu1’s people may well decide to charge me under the Cybercrimes Act like they have done with my namesake in Enugu, instead of calling in their DPO in Awka to account for presuming that his uniform makes him a summary Court of Appeal,” he added.
