VIDEO: Police officer threatens to kill anyone who films him on duty

A disturbing video has surfaced showing a Nigerian police officer, Newton Isokpehi, issuing chilling threats to kill members of the public and even his superiors if they dare to film him while he is on duty. This incident, captured and widely circulated on social media, raises serious concerns about the conduct and accountability of law enforcement officers in Nigeria.

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Any day I’m on duty as a police officer, carrying my rifle and doing my job, let somebody come and video me. That oga who gave you people the order to video us, he will go and do your burial. He will bury you. The number of you that I kill, he will be the one to bury all of you.

Isokpehi, who claims to have served for 26 years, expressed his grievances in Pidgin English, citing the daily suffering and alleged lack of adequate welfare support for officers. He displayed what he claimed were gunshot wounds as evidence of the hardships faced by those in service. While acknowledging some recent efforts by the Inspector General of Police to address unpaid benefits, his outburst highlights a deep-seated frustration within parts of the force.

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I have served in the Nigerian Police Force for twenty-six years in this place where we are suffering. We suffer every single day, every time.

The officer's explicit threats, including targeting the families of those who film him, are unacceptable and go against the principles of public service and human rights. The PUNCH's efforts to verify his status as a serving officer are ongoing, but the mere existence of such sentiments expressed by someone in uniform is alarming.

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If anyone is bold enough, just bring your camera. Watch me properly, bring your camera and come anywhere I am. Come and video me. If you don’t do it right, I will clear everybody down, the whole bus, everybody around. I swear to God, if I don’t do it, let me die.

This incident, as reported by The Punch, underscores the critical need for continuous training, psychological evaluation, and robust disciplinary measures within the Nigerian Police Force. It is imperative that officers understand their duty to serve and protect the public, not to intimidate or threaten them. The public's right to record officials in the line of duty is a crucial aspect of transparency and accountability, and any officer who obstructs this right, especially with violent threats, must be held to account.

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That oga, that police officer who gave the order for people to video policemen on duty, oya, I will deal with you all harshly. You will see serious wahala, you will see problem. Problem will destroy your generation.