AKURE — The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four police officers captured in a viral video along the Lagos–Benin Expressway, where one of the personnel boasted that he would have assaulted and detained a motorist if he had been of Igbo ethnicity.
The arrested officers have been identified as ASP Elomore Sodayo, Inspector Adefila Adewale, Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi, and Inspector Odusola Peter.
The arrests follow nationwide public indignation after video footage surfaced showing the officers involved in a tense exchange with a motorist—a Nigerian returnee from the United Kingdom—demanding money and making ethnically biased statements.
Police Command Confirms Identification and Arrest
Addressing journalists on Friday, July 24, 2026, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed that all four officers seen in the recording have been taken into custody for disciplinary proceedings.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, psc, mnips, mspsp, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the level of culpability of each officer involved,” DSP Jimoh stated.
SUSPENDED / ARRESTED OFFICERS:
• ASP Elomore Sodayo
• Inspector Adefila Adewale
• Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi
• Inspector Odusola Peter
LOCATION OF INCIDENT: Lagos–Benin Expressway Axis
ACTION TAKEN: Arrested & subjected to orderly room investigation by CP Felix Ohagwu
Background to the Outrage
The incident generated widespread condemnation across civil society and digital platforms after the recording captured an officer threatening the motorist and remarking that he was “lucky” not to be Igbo, implying that ethnic identity dictates the severity of police harassment or physical violence at highway checkpoints.
Legal practitioners, human rights advocates, and civic groups called for immediate disciplinary action, citing violations of police code of conduct, extortion attempt, and constitutional prohibitions against ethnic discrimination under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.
The Ondo State Police Command assured the public that the outcome of the internal probe and administrative trial will be made public upon completion to ensure full accountability.
