The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four officers captured in a viral video allegedly behaving unprofessionally while interacting with a motorist at a checkpoint along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed that the officers seen in the footage had been taken into custody.
He said the Commissioner of Police had ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the officers’ level of involvement in the alleged misconduct.
The officers were identified 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).
Jimoh assured the public that any officer found guilty after the investigation would face appropriate disciplinary action in line with the Nigeria Police Force’s regulations.
He stressed that police personnel are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respect the rights of citizens, and comply with the Force’s Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures.
“The outcome of the investigation will be guided by fairness, transparency and accountability,” Jimoh said, adding that officers found to have violated ethical standards would be sanctioned accordingly.
The incident followed the circulation of a video showing the officers stopping a motorist during a routine stop-and-search operation. According to the footage, the officers allegedly collected the driver’s documents without properly inspecting them.
The motorist, who claimed he had recently returned to Nigeria from abroad, repeatedly asked the officers to examine the documents, insisting he had nothing to offer them.
As the exchange became heated, the driver informed the officers that he was recording the encounter. One of the officers allegedly threatened to arrest him and seize his sports utility vehicle, saying he was only showing restraint.
Although one officer later returned the driver’s documents, another reportedly withheld his driver’s licence and allegedly insisted it would not be released unless money was paid.