Four Police Officers Arrested for Extortion in Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four officers after a viral video showed them misbehaving during a stop-and-search on the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

Abayomi Jimoh, the spokesperson for the command, shared this news with journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Friday.

He named the officers as Elomore Sodayo, Adefila Adewale, Olorunfemi Opeyemi, and Odusola Peter, all of whom are inspectors.

The Video

In the video, one officer checked a driver's documents and found everything was in order. Instead of letting the driver go, he told him to “do something better,” which suggested he wanted a bribe.

When the driver said he could not pay anything, the officer took his driver’s license and told him to park for more checks on his documents. An argument broke out when a plainclothes policeman, who was a passenger in the vehicle, tried to step in.

Investigation

Mr Jimoh stated that the command has started an investigation to find out how each officer was involved.

He said, “The Command wishes to inform the general public that the officers captured in the video have been arrested and identified as AP/No. 207454 ASP Elomore Sodayo, AP/No. 332012 Inspector Adefila Adewale, AP/No. 332449 Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi, and AP/No. 332369 Inspector Odusola Peter.

“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, psc, mnips, mspsp, has ordered a thorough investigation to find out what happened and how much each officer was involved,” he explained.

He added that the Nigeria Police Force is a disciplined and professional body that does not allow any kind of misconduct or actions that can damage public trust.

Mr Jimoh emphasized that police officers must always act professionally, respect human rights, and follow the Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures.

“The Command assures members of the public that the outcome of the investigation will be based on fairness, transparency, and accountability,” he said.

“Any officer found to have acted against the ethics and standards of the Nigeria Police Force will face proper disciplinary action in line with the law and established procedures.”

Mr Jimoh also noted that the Ondo State Police Command is dedicated to professional, community-focused policing.

He urged the public to obey the law and work with the police by reporting any misconduct through the proper complaint channels.

In September last year, the command punished eight officers for professional misconduct based on complaints from the public.