Police Inspector Faces Probe Over Viral Anti-Igbo Rant

The Lagos State Police Command has opened disciplinary proceedings against an inspector captured in a widely circulated video making inflammatory ethnic and political comments while riding in a commercial vehicle in uniform.

Inspector Osumah Frank faces internal action after the footage, which began spreading rapidly on social media around September 23, showed him launching into a series of remarks targeting the Igbo ethnic group and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi. In the clip, Frank, still in police attire, dismissed the possibility of an Igbo person becoming Nigeria’s president, labelled Obi a criminal, ritualist and internet fraudster, and claimed that an Obi presidency would turn Aso Rock into a “Yahoo office.” He further weighed into the 2027 political landscape, framing the contest as one primarily between President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and suggesting that police officers could be induced with money to frustrate a particular candidate’s chance.

Passengers speaking Igbo in the background of the video can be heard condemning the officer’s comments as they unfolded.

In a statement issued on Friday, September 25, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the remarks as “careless, inappropriate and uncultured.” The Command stressed that the officer spoke in a personal capacity and that his views do not represent those of the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force as a whole.

“The Command has commenced appropriate disciplinary action against the officer in line with established regulations of the Nigeria Police Force,” the statement said. “It also wishes to make it clear that the statements made by the officer were made in his personal capacity and do not represent the position, views or official disposition of the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force.”

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Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai reiterated that every officer is expected to uphold professionalism, civility, discipline and respect for the public at all times. He noted that wearing the police uniform carries an obligation to protect the dignity and integrity of the Force, and that the Command will not tolerate any behaviour capable of bringing the institution into disrepute or eroding public confidence.
The video triggered sharp criticism online, with many Nigerians condemning the ethnic stereotyping and the suggestion that police personnel could be compromised for political ends. The Command has not yet disclosed the precise form the disciplinary measures will take, nor has it released further details about the officer’s posting or previous record.

The episode adds to a series of recent cases in which viral videos of police conduct have prompted swift institutional responses, underscoring the heightened public scrutiny that accompanies the digital age of policing in Nigeria. Authorities continue to emphasise accountability while seeking to reassure citizens that individual misconduct does not reflect official policy.