The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four officers captured in a viral video making unprofessional and ethnically insensitive remarks to a motorist at a checkpoint on the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
The Command’s Spokesman, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Police Headquarters in Akure. He spoke on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu.
Jimoh identified the arrested officers as:
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.
According to him, CP Ohagwu has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine what happened and the level of involvement of each officer.
“The Command will not tolerate misconduct. Any officer found culpable will face appropriate disciplinary action in line with police regulations,” Jimoh told journalists.
He added that the investigation will also review the conduct of the stop-and-search operation to ensure it meets professional standards.
The viral video drew widespread criticism online, with many Nigerians condemning the officers’ language and behavior during the encounter.
The Command urged members of the public to continue reporting cases of unprofessional conduct by police personnel.
The Command also assured the public that any of the officers found culpable during the investigation would face appropriate punitive measure.
Jimoh added: “The Nigeria Police Force is a disciplined and professional institution that does not condone any form of misconduct, incivility, or actions capable of undermining public confidence, promoting ethnic division, or bringing the Force into disrepute.
“Officers are expected at all times to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism, respect for human dignity, and in strict compliance with the 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.
“The Ondo State Police Command remains committed to professional, intelligence-driven, and community-oriented policing.
“It urges members of the public to remain law-abiding and continue to cooperate with the Police by reporting any incident of misconduct through established complaint channels.”
In the video clip, the police officers had stopped a motorist during stop-and-search operation and collected his documents without going through them.
The motorist, who just returned from abroad, told the police officer holding the documents to check them because he had no graft to offer them.
In the ensuing argument, the motorist warned them that he was recording their conversations, but one of the officers moved close to him and said he was just being magnanimous with him, else he would have arrested him and taken him to the station with his Sports Utility Vehicle.
He later returned the documents to the motorist but held on to his driver’s license, vowing that if he (motorist) didn’t pay the money he demanded, he would not release the driver’s license.