By Odeh Favour Adiya
A viral video circulating across social media platforms has sparked widespread outrage after a man identified as a serving officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Newton Isokpehi, allegedly threatened to shoot and kill members of the public who record him while on duty.
The footage, which has spread across X (Twitter), WhatsApp, and TikTok, has left many Nigerians alarmed, with growing calls for police authorities to urgently arrest and disarm the officer before he carries out what viewers describe as dangerous threats.
In the video, Isokpehi, who claimed to have served in the force for 26 years, issued repeated warnings not only to civilians but also to senior officers allegedly responsible for directing that police activities be recorded.
Speaking in Pidgin English, he said:
“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,” he threatened.
He also directed further warnings at unnamed superiors, saying:
“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,” he said.
During the video, the officer pointed to marks on his arm, which he described as bullet wounds, using them to justify his grievances about police welfare and working conditions.
“You think I was born like this? This is a gunshot wound,” he said, adding that officers suffer greatly in the line of duty.
He further lamented the state of police welfare, saying:
“We are just working. Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop. My whole body is covered with bullet wounds and gunshot scars. Yet I’m still suffering,” he said.
Despite his criticisms, he acknowledged that the current Inspector-General of Police has begun addressing long-standing issues of unpaid insurance and benefits owed to families of deceased officers.
“Look at families whose fathers died many years ago. Since this IG assumed office, he has started releasing their insurance and benefits,” he admitted.
However, he again issued a stark warning against being filmed while on duty:
“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,” he said.
Public reaction has been swift, with many Nigerians describing the officer’s statements as dangerous, unprofessional, and a serious threat to public safety. Others have linked the behaviour to broader concerns about accountability and misconduct within the security system.
The officer was also reportedly linked to a TikTok account under the handle “Newton isokpehi for life,” where he had previously shared videos of himself in uniform alongside personal content. The controversial video has since been deleted, though the account remained active at the time of filing this report.
As at the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official statement on the incident.
Video:
https://twitter.com/Chude_ND1/status/2057370651787149684/video/1?s=46
