Otu Oka‑Iwu Abuja, strongly condemns the recent incident in Ondo State where a police officer was caught on video threatening to detain a motorist simply “if he were Igbo.” This statement, dripping with ethnic prejudice, is not only disgraceful but a direct assault on Nigeria’s unity, the dignity of Ndi‑Igbo, and the constitutional guarantees of equality before the law.
We state without hesitation that the evidence of misconduct is overwhelming. The video footage is clear, the words are unambiguous, and the intent is unmistakable. This is not a matter requiring endless panels or prolonged investigation. The Inspector‑General of Police and the Police Service Commission must act decisively by ordering the immediate dismissal of the officer involved, alongside disciplinary sanctions for his colleagues who enabled such conduct. Anything short of this will amount to tacit approval of ethnic profiling within the Nigeria Police Force.
There is no doubt that ethnic profiling by law enforcement is a cancer that eats away at the fabric of our nation. To suggest that detention or harassment should be determined by one’s ethnic identity is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and a violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The Nigeria Police Force is mandated to serve all Nigerians equally, not to perpetuate ethnic bias.
When an officer openly declares that being Igbo is sufficient reason for detention, it sends a chilling message, that justice is not blind, but tribal. This is unacceptable in a country striving for unity amidst diversity. It is a betrayal of the oath of office and a dangerous precedent that must be stamped out immediately!
In fact, this shameful episode is not isolated because Ndi‑Igbo have long endured harassment and extortion along the notorious Lagos–Benin Expressway, where police checkpoints have become synonymous with intimidation. Igbo traders, transporters, and motorists have repeatedly reported being singled out for undue scrutiny, arbitrary detention, and financial extortion.
We recall instances where Igbo travellers were branded “fraudsters” or “smugglers” without evidence, subjected to degrading treatment, and forced to part with their hard earned money just to continue their journey. These patterns of abuse mirror other ethnocentric remarks across the country, where officers have criminalised entire communities with sweeping generalisations. Such conduct is not only unlawful but corrosive to national cohesion.
Beyond all arguments, the human suffering is immense. Families travelling for business or social occasions are delayed for hours, subjected to humiliation, and stripped of their dignity. Traders lose money, students miss opportunities, and ordinary citizens live in fear of the very institution meant to protect them. For Ndi‑Igbo, the Lagos–Benin Expressway has become a corridor of pain, where extortion and profiling thrive unchecked.
Incidentally, the problem extends beyond Lagos-Benin Expresway. In the South‑East, highways such as the Onitsha–Owerri Road, Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, Aba–Port Harcourt Road, and Awka–Onitsha corridor are littered with police and military checkpoints that have become notorious for extortion. Motorists often encounter dozens of roadblocks within short distances, each demanding “settlement” before passage.
Recent reports revealed that between December 2024 and January 2025 alone, security personnel extorted an estimated ₦21.8 billion from motorists in the South‑East. Of this staggering sum, police officers allegedly pocketed ₦15 billion, while military personnel took ₦6.8 billion. Specific checkpoints such as Uga Junction and the Atani Road Naval post in Onitsha were identified as the most lucrative, with over ₦600 million extorted at gunpoint.
The human cost of this extortion is devastating. Traders transporting goods are forced to pay bribes, commercial drivers inflate fares to cover these illegal costs, and ordinary citizens are subjected to harassment and humiliation. In one tragic case, Inspector Sani Suleiman allegedly shot a young man at a checkpoint in Anambra after he refused to pay a ₦100 bribe, a chilling reminder that extortion is not only an economic burden but also a deadly threat.
These checkpoints, instead of providing security, have become tollgates of intimidation. Traders transporting goods are forced to pay bribes, commercial drivers inflate fares to cover extortion costs, and ordinary citizens are subjected to harassment and humiliation. This practice cripples commerce, and disproportionately affects Ndi‑Igbo, whose livelihoods depend heavily on road transport and trade.
To this end, we call on the Inspector‑General of Police to sanitize the entire Lagos–Benin Expressway corridor up to Onitsha, Anambra State, and extend reforms across the South‑East highways, which have become notorious for police misconduct. This vital artery of commerce and social interaction must be freed from the chokehold of extortion, intimidation, and ethnic profiling. The checkpoints along these corridors should be reformed, closely monitored, and staffed only by officers trained in professionalism and respect for human rights. Ndi‑Igbo deserve safe passage without fear of harassment, humiliation, or discrimination.
Otu Oka‑Iwu Abuja is not only demanding dismissal and disciplinary action in passing. We will formally send a demand letter to the Inspector‑General of Police and the Police Service Commission insisting on the immediate dismissal of the officer involved. We will follow up relentlessly until the officer is served the consequences of his words, words which reflect not a slip of the tongue, but the trade and practice of intimidation that has become routine along Nigeria’s highways.
We will monitor the process, engage the police hierarchy, and ensure that this matter does not fade into silence. Justice must be done!
For the avoidance of doubt, we call on the Inspector‑General of Police and the Police Service Commission to:
- Immediately dismiss the officer involved in the Ondo incident, as the evidence is incontrovertible.
- Institute a zero‑tolerance policy against ethnic profiling within the Nigeria Police Force.
- Reform checkpoint practices along the Lagos–Benin Expressway and other notorious routes in Ala-Igbo, ensuring that Ndi‑Igbo can travel without fear of harassment.
Otu Oka‑Iwu Abuja stands firmly against any form of ethnic discrimination. We denounce the officer’s statement as a disgrace to the uniform and a betrayal of the oath to serve all Nigerians without bias and urge the Inspector‑General of Police and the Police Service Commission to act now.
SIR. CHIDIEBERE NWABUEZE UDEKWE ESQ
PRESIDENT
OTU OKA-IWU, ABUJA
