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The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four of its officers after a viral video allegedly captured them engaging in unprofessional conduct, including an alleged ethnic remark, during a stop-and-search operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway, an incident that has sparked nationwide outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct.
The officers, ASP Elomore Sodayo, Inspector Adefila Adewale, Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi and Inspector Odusola Peter, were taken into custody after the footage circulated widely on social media, drawing widespread condemnation over their conduct during the encounter with the motorist.
The command has since commenced an orderly room trial to determine their culpability.
The video showed a United Kingdom-based Nigerian confronting the officers after his vehicle was stopped for a search.
During the exchange, he accused them of intimidation, attempted extortion and ethnic profiling.
Public anger intensified after one of the officers was heard saying the motorist would have been detained if he had been an Igbo man.
The video quickly went viral, triggering widespread criticism from Nigerians, civil society organisations and rights advocates, many of whom described the alleged remark as discriminatory and incompatible with the constitutional rights of every Nigerian, irrespective of ethnic background.
Confirming the development on Friday, the Ondo State Police Command said the four officers had been arrested and were undergoing an orderly room trial in accordance with the disciplinary procedures of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the Force viewed the allegations with utmost seriousness and had commenced a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the officers’ conduct.
Jimoh stressed that the Nigeria Police Force has zero tolerance for misconduct, abuse of office or any action capable of undermining public confidence in law enforcement, adding that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary measures in line with the Force’s regulations.
He also appealed to members of the public to continue reporting cases of police misconduct through established complaint channels, assuring Nigerians that the command remained committed to professionalism, accountability and the protection of the rights of every citizen.
The Nigeria Police Force has, in recent years, earned a reputation for responding swiftly to allegations of misconduct involving its personnel.
Officers and other individuals, irrespective of rank or status, are routinely investigated and subjected to disciplinary procedures whenever there is credible evidence of wrongdoing.
Many observers say this approach has strengthened the Force’s commitment to accountability and transparency.
Against this backdrop, the latest incident has again raised questions over why some officers continue to disregard the ethical standards of the profession despite the consequences suffered by colleagues previously found guilty of misconduct.
Observers say consistent enforcement of disciplinary measures remains critical to restoring public confidence in policing.
The incident has also reignited concerns over allegations of ethnic profiling by some security personnel, particularly against people of Igbo extraction.
Reacting to the viral video, a Lagos-based medical doctor, Ikechukwu Francis, wrote on his Facebook page: “Imagine him saying that he would have detained him if he were an Igbo man? Why this hate for Igbos? A country of different laws or attitude?”
His remarks resonated with many social media users who argued that security personnel should enforce the law without prejudice or discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or place of origin.
The development has also revived memories of a leaked audio recording that circulated widely in Nigeria in which a senior police officer was allegedly heard objecting to the sale of a house in Yola, Adamawa state, to an Igbo man.
In the recording, the officer was heard saying, “You dare not let an Igbo man buy that house. I don’t want to be a neighbor to an Igbo man,” before reportedly directing the seller to refund the buyer’s money and cancel the transaction.
The audio generated widespread outrage at the time and fuelled calls for greater professionalism and impartiality within the nation’s security institutions.
The latest incident has further amplified longstanding complaints by many Igbo travellers and socio-cultural organisations, who say they face disproportionately heavy security checks while travelling to the South-East.
They argue that highways leading into the region are lined with numerous military and security checkpoints where extortion, intimidation, harassment and other abuses are common.
Over the years, similar concerns have also been raised by some lawmakers of Igbo extraction, during debates on the floor of the Senate, as well as by civil society groups and community leaders, who have urged security agencies to ensure that security operations are intelligence-driven and not perceived as targeting any ethnic group.
The controversy has once again ignited a nationwide debate over the conduct of security personnel during stop-and-search operations, with many Nigerians insisting that law enforcement officers must uphold the constitutional rights of every citizen irrespective of ethnicity, religion or place of origin.
Civil society organisations, rights advocates and concerned citizens have also renewed calls for stricter oversight, continuous human rights training and tougher sanctions against officers found guilty of abusing their powers.
For many observers, the swift arrest of the four officers underscores the Nigeria Police Force’s resolve to discipline erring personnel and protect the integrity of the institution.
They, however, maintain that restoring public confidence will require not only prompt disciplinary action but also sustained reforms aimed at eliminating ethnic profiling, extortion and other forms of misconduct, while ensuring that every Nigerian is treated with fairness, dignity and respect, regardless of ethnic or religious background.
As the orderly room trial progresses, Nigerians say they will be watching closely, hoping the outcome will reaffirm that no officer is above the law and that professionalism, impartiality and respect for citizens’ rights remain the cornerstone of policing.
