A circulating video online has triggered widespread criticism after it showed a police officer allegedly requesting either ₦5,000 or five litres of petrol from motorists who failed to present an Electronic Central Motor Registry (ECMR) certificate.
This incident occurred despite the suspension of ECMR enforcement by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in July 2024. The decision to halt enforcement followed public backlash, as many Nigerians accused the police of exploiting the policy to extort money from drivers.
The video, uploaded on Sunday by X.com user Teniola (@Teeniiola), captures a confrontation between the officer and a group of travellers along the Benin Bypass. The officer is seen questioning them about their ECMR registration.
One of the travellers challenged the officer, pointing out that the ECMR requirement was no longer valid. In response, the officer said, “You can make call now.” When the traveller declined, asking, “What do you want us to do?” the officer replied, “We’ll go and buy it, that’s 5k,” referring to the price of five litres of fuel.
The traveller then asked, “You want ₦5,000 from each of us, abi?” while the officer was also heard asking another traveller to provide three litres of fuel.
The footage has renewed concerns over continued reports of extortion and misconduct among some police officers, despite previous efforts by police authorities to address such behavior.
In reaction to the video, Delta State Police spokesperson SP Edafe Bright condemned the officer’s conduct. Posting on X, he stated: “My God. Thanks for recording this. Little by little, all the moles will be taken out of the system.
“These officers tarnishing the image of the force will be removed one after the other. Maybe when they’re unemployed, they’ll try content creation. This is disgraceful, and the police are addressing it.”
