•The culprits
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four police officers captured in a viral social media video, allegedly making unprofessional and ethnically insensitive remarks to a member of the public during a stop-and-search operation on the Lagos–Benin Expressway.
The officers came under widespread criticism after the video surfaced online, showing an altercation with a motorist who identified himself as a United Kingdom returnee, reports The Nation.
Addressing journalists in Akure today, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Jimoh Abayomi, announced that the officers had been identified and taken into custody.
Abayomi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the officers were ASP Elomore Sodayo (AP/No. 207454), Inspector Adefila Adewale (AP/No. 332012), Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi (AP/No. 332449), and Inspector Odusola Peter (AP/No. 332369).
Abayomi said the State Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, had ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the officers’ conduct and establish the level of culpability of each officer involved.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force remains a disciplined and professional institution that does not tolerate misconduct, incivility, or any action capable of undermining public confidence, promoting ethnic division, or bringing the Force into disrepute.
He stressed that police personnel are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respect the dignity of members of the public, and strictly adhere to the Force’s Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures.
“The Command assures members of the public that the outcome of the investigation will be guided by the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability.
“Any officer found to have acted contrary to the ethics and standards of the Nigeria Police Force will be subjected to appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the law and established disciplinary procedures,” Abayomi said.
Abayomi also reiterated the Command’s commitment to professional, intelligence-driven and community-oriented policing, urging residents to remain law-abiding and continue reporting incidents of police misconduct through the established complaint channels.
He, however, encouraged members of the public to contact the Command through its official communication platforms for complaints and inquiries.
Recall that the viral incident occurred after the motorist was stopped at a police checkpoint and presented his vehicle documents and driver’s licence for inspection.
Although the officers returned the vehicle documents, they allegedly withheld his driver’s licence.
According to the motorist, one of the officers demanded money, but he refused, insisting he had committed no offence and urging the officer to perform his lawful duty instead of seeking a bribe.
After the refusal, the officer allegedly demanded the waybill for the motorist’s luggage and repeatedly asked him to leave the scene without identifying any traffic offence.
In the video, one of the officers was heard saying, “I just see that we are very close. If you were Igbo or another person, I’d have asked you to park…” while gesturing towards the roadside.
The remark sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many Nigerians condemning it as discriminatory and demanding disciplinary action against the officers.
