By Oscar Okhifo
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four of its officers after a viral video allegedly captured them engaging in unprofessional conduct, including making an alleged ethnic remark, during a stop-and-search operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway. The incident 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 a motorist.
The command has since commenced an orderly room trial to determine their culpability.
The video shows 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 outrage intensified after one of the officers was allegedly heard saying that 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 human rights advocates, many of whom described the alleged remark as discriminatory and incompatible with the constitutional rights of every Nigerian, regardless 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 the 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. He added 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 remains committed to professionalism, accountability, and the protection of the rights of every citizen.
In recent years, the Nigeria Police Force has increasingly responded 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 reinforced the Force’s commitment to accountability and transparency.
Against this backdrop, the latest incident has once again raised questions about why some officers continue to disregard the ethical standards of the profession despite previous disciplinary actions taken against colleagues found guilty of misconduct.
Observers argue that 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? Is this a country with different laws or different attitudes toward different ethnic groups?”
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 allegedly said:
“You dare not let an Igbo man buy that house. I don’t want to be a neighbour to an Igbo man.”
He reportedly instructed the seller to refund the buyer’s money and cancel the transaction.
The audio generated widespread outrage and fuelled calls for greater professionalism, impartiality, and respect for constitutional rights within Nigeria’s security institutions.
The latest incident has further amplified longstanding complaints by many Igbo travellers and socio-cultural organisations, who say they face disproportionately stringent 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 lawmakers from the South-East during debates in 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 are 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, human 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 ethnicity or religion.
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 cornerstones of policing.