- Safiu Kehinde
Newton Isokpehi, the police officer who threatened to kill anyone who records him has recanted his threat while tendering a public apology to Nigerians.
NPO earlier Reported Isokpehi’s appearance in viral TikTok video where he threatened to kill entire passengers of any bus he catches with someone recording him while on duty.
The officer, in the video, slammed senior police officers who encourage citizens to record officers on duty as he vowed to shoot anyone attempt such with him.
The video, which was shared on X by human rights activist, Harrison Gwaminshu, had sparked mixed reactions from netizens with some calling for his arrest and dismissal.
In the wake of the backlash, Isokpehi, tendered a public apology in another video released on Thursday.
The officer claimed he never meant what he said in the threat video.
He however maintained that his statement was borne out of how citizens record officers anyhow while on duty.
Isokpehi held that the act often demoralise officers and prevent them from carrying their duties effectively amid fear of being recorded.
‘I didn’t mean it like that. Actually, you can video us.
“But it is not like now that anybody can just come from anywhere and start videoing somebody on duty. Even some policemen sitting on their own. They will go there and be videoing them.
“They have taken it beyond normal for us. It even makes the policemen not to be active because we you suppose work active, you go dey fear say make dem no video me.
“I didn’t mean it like that. But just because of annoyance, because of some other people have started making trending videos about policemen and all that. You should not do us like that,” he said.
The officer further claimed to have spoken out of annoyance as he asked for forgiveness over the threat.
“I speak with annoyance and if the thing pain una, make una forgive me. All of us na brother because no matter anything wey dey happen, all of us are one.
“How I go dey kill my people? Anybody who knows me will tell you about me. I no be person wey dey go front and back.
“I worked as Mobile Officer for 12 years. I dey serve my fatherland with all my heart. I no dey find money.
“Harrison forgive me abeg. The whole Nigerians make una forgive me. That statement na just annoyance of things wey dey happen.” He said.
Isokpehi again showed the gunshot wounds all over his body as he claimed to have suffered repeatedly in line of action which fueled his annoyance with citizens recording officers.
“We don suffer well well for the work. Look my body. All these are gunshot injuries. So, na annoyance. I don collect bullet.
“We don dey like 17 wey be say na only two of us survive the operation.
“Na vexation. Make others take correction. No be say you go just see policeman dey video am.
“Make una forgive me. If I offend una, as brothers, make una forgive me.” He said.