ABUJA, Nigeria — The head of Nigeria’s police force has ordered immediate disciplinary action against a senior officer caught on camera threatening citizens who were filming a police operation, declaring that the public has an absolute right to record law enforcement activities.
The directive follows the widespread circulation of a viral social media video involving Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Newton Isokpehi. In the footage, the officer is seen making hostile remarks and threatening members of the public who had positioned themselves to document a police encounter.
In a swift institutional pushback on Thursday, 21 May 2026, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, condemned the officer’s behavior as unprofessional, unacceptable, and completely out of step with ongoing federal reforms designed to entrench accountability.
Summoned for Disciplinary Procedures
The police high command moved rapidly to identify the official and isolate the friction. The Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Anthony Placid, confirmed that ASP Isokpehi has been pulled from his field duties and summoned to the Anambra State Command Headquarters.
A formal disciplinary panel has commenced an internal audit of the officer’s conduct. State authorities warned that the force will no longer tolerate intimidation, threats, or abuses of office that systematically erode public confidence in law enforcement.
“The Force wishes to state unequivocally that the conduct and utterances exhibited in the video are unacceptable, unprofessional, and inconsistent with the ethics, standards, and code of conduct of the Nigeria Police Force,” DCP Placid stated from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, promising that the outcome of the tribunal would be made public.
The Right to Record Reaffirmed
The intervention marks a significant stance by IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu regarding citizen journalism and digital transparency.
Historically, encounters between Nigerian youths wielding smartphones and frontline police officers have been a major source of domestic friction, frequently escalating into allegations of extortion and harassment.
The Inspector-General’s directive established clear operational boundaries for field personnel:
- Legitimate Accountability: The high command officially reiterated that recording police activities is a lawful tool for public transparency and must not attract harassment.
- The Caveat: Citizens are permitted to lawfully record officers carrying out their duties provided the filming does not actively obstruct ongoing operations, compromise tactical safety, or interfere with lawful arrests.
- Public Partnership: The administration thanked tech-savvy citizens for using digital media constructively to expose bad actors, framing the viral video as a form of civic partnership that helps purge the ranks of indisciplined elements.
By moving the case directly into an official disciplinary procedure within the Anambra Command, the police leadership is looking to send a clear signal down the operational command chain, asserting that in the modern digital era, the force must adapt to public scrutiny rather than attempting to suppress it.
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