Police arrest supernumerary officer, condemn political comments

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the arrest of an individual dressed in a Spy Police uniform who was caught in a video circulating on social media platforms amid governorship election in Edo.

In a statement on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi said that the Nigeria Police Force has been made aware of a recent video evidencing political comment by an individual dressed in a Spy Police uniform regarding the upcoming Edo State gubernatorial elections, which has been circulating on social media platforms.

“The NPF strongly condemns this act and clarifies that the individual is not a regular officer of the Nigeria Police Force, but a Supernumerary (Spy) Police Officer employed by a private company.

“Supernumerary Police Officers are private individuals trained by the Nigeria Police for specific security functions, primarily within their place of employment. They are not on the payroll of the NPF and do not swear to the oath of allegiance like  sworn regular police officers, thus they have the right to belong to any political party of their choice and freedom of expression. In this extant case, the Police frowns at the wearing of his official SPY uniform and engaging in political activities.”

The statement revealed that the individual involved has been arrested for further investigations.

“We reiterate that his political comments do not reflect the views of the Nigeria Police, and the public is urged to disregard any such statements and trust in our continued commitment to professionalism, neutrality, and the rule of law.”