₦airaland Forum

Ogbegbe Is in Court — But Where Is Justice for Mene Ogidi?

Nigeria moves from one tragedy to another with frightening speed.

Today, Nigerians are discussing the cost-of-living crisis. Tomorrow, attention shifts to killings in Benue, kidnappings, political struggles ahead of the 2027 elections or attacks against Nigerians abroad. These issues deserve attention, but the speed of the news cycle often means that yesterday’s victims are forgotten before justice is served.

One name Nigerians must not forget is Oghenemine “Mene” Ogidi, also known as OG Million.

On April 26, 2026, the 28-year-old musician and delivery worker was killed during an encounter with police officers in Effurun, Delta State. Reports and video footage showed him restrained before he was shot at close range. Former Assistant Superintendent of Police Usman Nuhu, popularly known as Ogbegbe, was subsequently accused of firing the fatal shot.

The incident caused nationwide outrage. Nigerians watched a young man pleading for his life while officers who were expected to protect citizens stood around him. Whatever accusations were made against Mene, he had the constitutional right to be investigated and brought before a court. A police officer does not have the authority to become the accuser, judge and executioner.

But as usually happens in Nigeria, the outrage began to fade.

New crises arrived. Nigerians were confronted by continuing economic hardship and debates over whether government reforms were genuinely improving ordinary people’s lives. In July, the government announced plans to measure poverty, real incomes and inequality amid criticism that economic improvements had not translated into meaningful relief for many households.

At the same time, insecurity continued to dominate the headlines. Gunmen attacked mourners after a funeral in Benue State, killing at least eight people according to the police, while Amnesty International reported a higher number. Nigerians were also following the evacuation of citizens from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.

These events are serious. They affect real families and deserve national attention. However, one tragedy should not erase another.

So, where is Ogbegbe?

The latest widely reported court updates show that Ogbegbe and four other dismissed police officers were taken before the Delta State High Court.

A court ordered the five former officers to be held at the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre pending further proceedings. Ogbegbe was later formally charged with murder, while the other four former officers were charged with negligent acts causing harm.

On June 30, 2026, all five defendants pleaded not guilty. The court scheduled the commencement of the trial for July 14, 2026.

Therefore, the question is no longer simply, “Where is Ogbegbe?”

The more important questions are:

Will the trial remain transparent?

Will Mene’s family receive regular and accurate information?

Will witnesses be protected and allowed to testify freely?

Will the proceedings continue without unnecessary delays?

Will justice still be pursued after social-media attention has disappeared?

The accused persons are entitled to a fair trial and remain legally presumed innocent until a court reaches its decision. But Mene Ogidi and his family are equally entitled to a credible, open and timely judicial process.

Nigeria has witnessed too many cases of alleged police brutality that generated public outrage before slowly disappearing from national discussion. Families are left to attend court hearings alone, search for information and repeatedly remind the country that their loved ones once existed.

Nearly six years after the 2020 #EndSARS protests, the family of journalist Pelumi Onifade is still seeking accountability and the return of his body for burial. A June 2026 coroner’s finding reportedly confirmed through DNA that remains previously seen in a morgue belonged to him, yet his family’s struggle for closure continues.

That history should teach us something: public anger lasting only a few days is not enough.

Justice requires sustained attention.

Journalists must continue attending the proceedings. Civil-society organisations must document every adjournment and development. The Delta State Government and Ministry of Justice must communicate clearly with Mene’s family. Nigerians should keep asking questions without threatening witnesses, prejudging the court or spreading unverified information.

Mene Ogidi must not become another hashtag that trended briefly and disappeared.

Ogbegbe may now be before the court, but the work is not finished. An arraignment is not a conviction. A promise of justice is not justice itself. Dismissal from the police is not a substitute for a full judicial determination.

Nigeria must keep watching.

Because when the country forgets its victims, impunity wins.

Do not forget Mene Ogidi. Follow the trial. Demand transparency. Demand justice.

Where is super cop Abba Kyari?

If the Nigerian Police truly wants a reputable image, these trials must always be conducted publicly.
It serves as a warning to other officers and justification to the general public.

ebexofficial:
If the Nigerian Police truly wants a reputable image, these trials must always be conducted publicly.
It serves as a warning to other officers and justification to the general public.

And which trial has ever been conducted secretly?
The trial should be held on the street?


To the OP, you already knew where he was
You already knew the stage the case has gotten to.
Yet you used this headline?
What is your plan, to encourage civil unrest?
Because the body of your report clearly tells a different story from your headline...
Seun mynd44 is Nairaland fast becoming a tool to encourage social unrest?
Headlines like this can cause damage.

You can see some people who just read the headline without reading the body are running with the headline, I am very sure this is the aim of the OP, to mislead people

Exousiang01:
And which trial has ever been conducted secretly?
The trial should be held on the street?


To the OP, you already knew where he was
You already knew the stage the case has gotten to.
Yet you used this headline?
What is your plan, to encourage civil unrest?
Because the body of your report clearly tells a different story from your headline...
Seun mynd44 is Nairaland fast becoming a tool to encourage social unrest?
Headlines like this can cause damage.

You can see some people who just read the headline without reading the body are running with the headline, I am very sure this is the aim of the OP, to mislead people

Thank you for raising your concern.

I accept that the headline could have been clearer and may have created the wrong impression for people who did not read the full report. I have taken that criticism on board.

However, the suggestion that my intention was to mislead people, encourage civil unrest or cause social unrest is speculative at best. Nothing in the body of the report calls for violence, disorder or mob action. On the contrary, the report clearly states that the accused has been charged, has pleaded not guilty and is entitled to a fair trial.

The purpose of the post was to keep public attention on the case and encourage transparency and accountability through lawful means. It was not to misrepresent the status of the proceedings.

I am willing to correct an unclear headline, but it is unfair to assign motives to me without evidence.

Exousiang01:
And which trial has ever been conducted secretly?
The trial should be held on the street?


To the OP, you already knew where he was
You already knew the stage the case has gotten to.
Yet you used this headline?
What is your plan, to encourage civil unrest?
Because the body of your report clearly tells a different story from your headline...
Seun mynd44 is Nairaland fast becoming a tool to encourage social unrest?
Headlines like this can cause damage.

You can see some people who just read the headline without reading the body are running with the headline, I am very sure this is the aim of the OP, to mislead people

I don’t know the stage of the trial, why are you calling for the post to be brought down?