“I’ll Teach You a Lesson”: Police Officer Threatens Motorist During Vehicle Search

A Nigerian Mobile Police (MOPOL) officer has come under scrutiny after a viral video showed him threatening a motorist and ordering him to remove his necklace and glasses during a vehicle search.

The footage, published by SaharaReporters on Tuesday and shared on X by @MR__sulaiman2, captured a heated confrontation between the motorist and an officer whose name tag appeared to read “Afambu Uche”.

The disagreement reportedly began when the driver asked the officers to search his vehicle one section at a time, saying he wanted to monitor the process.

“Please sir, can you close the door, let’s focus on one side. Let him close the door so we can focus here, so that I can see what he is doing,” the motorist said.

However, one of the officers questioned the necklace around the driver’s neck and appeared to suggest that it was a charm.

“What is this one on your neck?” the officer asked before insisting that the motorist remove it.

“Bring it out! What is necklace? Is it not tailsman?” the officer reportedly said.

When the driver questioned the instruction, the officer threatened him, warning that he would teach him a lesson and accusing him of making noise.

“I will teach you a lesson you have not learned in your life. Open your bag. We are moving you to criminal charge, you are making noise. Who are you?” the officer said.

The officer subsequently ordered the motorist to remove his glasses and directed him not to wear them again until the search was completed.

“Remove the glass in your face. I say remove the glass in your face! Don’t put the glass on until I finish searching,” he added.

The confrontation escalated as the motorist questioned why he was being treated aggressively for asking questions about the search.

Despite the officer’s demand that he put away his phone, the driver insisted on continuing to record the encounter.

“I wouldn’t put my phone in my pocket. Why are you assaulting me? I won’t put my phone in my pocket!” he said.

The video has raised concerns about police conduct during stop-and-search operations, particularly the use of threats and the treatment of motorists who seek explanations from officers.

While police officers have a responsibility to carry out lawful searches and maintain public order, such duties should be exercised professionally and in accordance with the law.

As of the information contained in the report, there was no official response from the Nigeria Police Force addressing the incident or clarifying the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

The officer’s conduct and the events leading to the dispute could not be independently verified from the footage alone.