The Nigeria Police Force has identified the police officer captured in a viral video making politically partisan and ethnically charged remarks against former Anambra State Governor and Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was disclosed on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, in response to widespread calls for the identification and possible disciplinary action against the officer.
The officer had been captured in uniform, apparently inside a commercial vehicle, making a series of controversial statements about Obi, his presidential ambition and the possibility of an Igbo person becoming President of Nigeria.
In the video, the officer repeatedly claimed that an Igbo man or woman could never become President of Nigeria, while specifically attacking Obi because of his ethnic identity and political ambition.
“Igbo can never become president. No way. He will turn that Abuja to become Yahoo office. They will take you to do rituals,” the officer said.
He also accused Obi of being a criminal, ritualist and internet fraudster, popularly known as a “Yahoo” boy, while alleging that an Obi presidency would turn Aso Rock into a “Yahoo office.”
The officer further claimed that even if Obi won the 2027 presidential election, he would not be allowed to assume office.
“Even if he wins, let oga use money and deal with him. He will not enter that place. We will waste all his money and all his strength. All the votes they will cast for him in Igboland are useless,” he said.
He also dismissed Obi’s political relevance and described the 2027 presidential contest as essentially a contest between President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Who is Obi? A small child. It is not yet his turn, until he gets old up to 80 or 90 years,” he said.
The officer went further to question whether an Igbo person could ever occupy Nigeria’s highest elected office.
“Who will ever give Igbo man or Igbo woman a chance to become the president of this country?” he asked.
He also described the alleged exclusion of an Igbo presidential candidate as a “tradition” and referred to past political arrangements involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Obi cannot go anywhere! Hoodlums! Do you know what they call hoodlums? Obi is a criminal! Igbo smoker, Indian hemp smoker, Yahoo. He will turn Aso Rock to become Yahoo, fraudster, small boy,” he said.
Voices of passengers speaking Igbo could be heard in the background of the recording, with some apparently challenging or condemning the officer’s remarks.
The video generated widespread reactions on social media, particularly because the man appeared in police uniform while openly expressing partisan political views and making comments targeting an ethnic group.
Several Nigerians subsequently called on the Nigeria Police Force to identify the officer and take appropriate action.
Responding to an X post by a user who asked, “When are you guys going to arrest this man?”, CSP Iniedu confirmed that the officer had been identified.
“Officer has been identified. You will be updated shortly, please,” the police spokesperson replied.
However, the Force spokesperson did not, in that response, disclose the officer’s name, rank, police formation or location. He also did not state whether the officer had been arrested, detained or subjected to disciplinary proceedings.
Separately, reports on Friday identified the officer as Inspector Osumah Frank and said the Lagos State Police Command had commenced disciplinary action against him over the video. The command reportedly stressed that the remarks were made in his personal capacity and did not represent the position or views of the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force.
The incident has raised fresh questions about political neutrality, professional conduct and the expected behaviour of serving security personnel as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The remarks attributed to the officer remain statements made in the viral recording and do not constitute established facts about Obi, his conduct or the 2027 election.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform, is currently the presidential candidate of the NDC for the 2027 general elections and remains one of the prominent figures in the emerging presidential contest.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to publicly announce the specific disciplinary measures, if any, to be taken against the officer following his identification.