A Nigerian police officer has come under fire after a viral video surfaced showing him allegedly making an ethnic remark while confronting a motorist during a stop-and-search operation at a police checkpoint.
The footage, which has attracted widespread condemnation on social media, captured the officer allegedly telling the driver that he was “lucky not to be Igbo” following a disagreement over an alleged demand for a bribe.
The motorist, who identified himself as a Nigerian resident in the United Kingdom visiting the country, claimed he refused to part with money after the officer stopped his vehicle, insisting he had committed no traffic offence and challenging the officer to carry out his lawful duties.
In the video, the driver introduced himself, saying, “I came from UK and I am the owner” of the vehicle.
The officer reportedly brushed aside the explanation, responding, “Go and do better thing.”
As the exchange continued, the motorist told the officer, “I don’t have anything, Oga. If I have, I would have given you,” prompting a response that has since ignited allegations of ethnic profiling.
“I just want to see how you are going to behave. If you are another person, Igbo or others, I will just carry you go (to the station). If you don’t have anything, go and park,” the officer was heard saying.
The driver immediately demanded the return of his driver’s licence, asking, “Then can I have my driving licence? Wetin I do na?”
Rather than informing the motorist of any alleged traffic violation or inspecting his vehicle documents, the officer repeatedly directed him to leave the checkpoint.
“Go and park,” the officer insisted.
The motorist, however, challenged the officer’s conduct, maintaining that none of his documents had been checked and accusing him of abandoning his official responsibilities.
“You no check my documents. Do your job. I won’t give you anything,” he said.
The video has since triggered a wave of criticism, with many Nigerians describing the officer’s alleged comments as unprofessional, discriminatory and inconsistent with the standards expected of law enforcement officers. Others called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate both the alleged attempt to extort the motorist and the officer’s ethnic remarks.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or identify the officer involved.
