Police Officer Caught on Camera Demanding N5k Bribe on Major Nigerian Highway

• A police officer was filmed demanding ₦5,000 or five litres of fuel from motorists for ECMR documents, despite a suspension of the policy
• The video, shared online, has drawn public outrage, with many accusing the police of ongoing roadside extortion
• Delta Police spokesperson SP Edafe Bright condemned the act, calling it embarrassing and promising that officers like this will be removed

A video making rounds on social media has triggered widespread condemnation after a police officer was caught on camera soliciting bribes in the form of either ₦5,000 or five litres of fuel from motorists along the Benin Bypass.

The footage, shared by X user @Teeniiola on Sunday, captures the officer insisting on documents for Electronic Central Motor Registry (ECMR) — a policy whose enforcement had already been suspended.

Policeman caught on camera demanding bribe

The officer, standing beside a police vehicle, confronted a group of travellers, demanding to see proof of ECMR registration. When one motorist questioned the demand, noting that ECMR checks had been halted by the police authorities, the officer bluntly replied, “You can make your calls.” He then shifted tone and asked for five litres of fuel instead.

Read also

Reps bow to pressure, take action on controversial compulsory voting bill

Further attempts to clarify his demands revealed the officer was soliciting the equivalent of the fuel — ₦5,000 — from each vehicle.

In the video, he is also heard requesting three litres of fuel from another driver, suggesting a pattern of roadside extortion.

The incident, now widely circulated, has stirred public anger and reignited concerns over unchecked misconduct among law enforcement personnel.

Nigerians online have described the exchange as yet another example of systemic abuse and the erosion of trust between the police and citizens.

Police official reacts to video

Responding to the backlash, the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Edafe Bright, condemned the officer’s conduct in strong terms.

“My God. Thanks for recording this. Little by little, all the moles will be taken out of the system,” Bright posted on X.

“All these policemen bringing shame to us, one by one, they will be sent out of the organisation. Maybe when they become jobless, they will go into content creation. This is embarrassing, and the force is on it.”

Read also

Tragedy as ex-lover sets woman ablaze in Lagos, police react

The controversy has renewed scrutiny of the ECMR system, which was temporarily shelved in July 2024 by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

The suspension followed public backlash and claims that the registry was being used as a pretext for roadside extortion.

Many Nigerians are now calling for disciplinary action and more systemic reforms to address abuse of power by security officials.

As of Monday, the identity of the officer in question had not been made public, but pressure is mounting on the police force to take decisive action.

Police seal church over killing of LASU graduate

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command had sealed a church over the alleged killing of a 28-year-old graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), Adedamola Ogunbode.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Ogunbode was killed weeks before the 28th Convocation Ceremony of the institution set for April 3–10, 2025.

Source: Legit.ng