Dare Babalola
A police officer, Newton Isokpehi, who sparked widespread outrage after threatening to kill anyone who recorded him while on duty, has made a dramatic U-turn, issuing a public apology and saying his earlier comments were made in anger.
Isokpehi had gone viral on Wednesday after a video circulated on social media in which he warned that he would “shoot dead” anyone who attempted to film him during operations, a statement that triggered heavy criticism online and calls for disciplinary action.
However, in a fresh video posted on his TikTok account on Thursday, the officer withdrew his remarks and appealed for forgiveness, saying the comments did not reflect his true intentions.
Speaking in Pidgin English, he directly addressed human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu and other Nigerians who had reacted to the initial video.
“Please forgive me. If I offended you as a brother, forgive me. That statement was just out of annoyance because of the things that are happening. These things are painful,” he said.
He maintained that his earlier position had been misunderstood, stressing that he was not against members of the public recording police officers in general.
“Actually, you can video us. You are allowed to video a policeman. But it’s not right for just anybody to come from anywhere and start videoing officers on duty. They have taken it too far,” he added.
Isokpehi, who said he is from Edo State and grew up in the barracks in Kaduna, also spoke about his years in service, describing himself as a committed officer who had endured difficult operational experiences.
He claimed to have served in the Mobile Police for 12 years and referenced past injuries sustained in the line of duty, which he displayed during the video.
“Look at my body, these are all bullets. These are all gunshot wounds… Out of 17 of us, only two survived that operation,” he said.
The officer insisted that his viral threat was not a deliberate policy statement but an emotional outburst.
“How can I be saying I will kill my own people? We don’t do that. I spoke out of annoyance. That one was just verbal talk,” he said.
Addressing Gwamnishu directly, he pleaded for forgiveness and acknowledged that the situation had escalated beyond his expectation.
“Harrison, forgive me. I beg the whole of Nigeria, please forgive me. This one has reached too far,” he said.
He also expressed hope for improved welfare and conditions for officers, while affirming loyalty to national service.
“We have decided that we will die for our fatherland… One love to the world,” he added.
The original video, which showed him threatening to “clear everybody down” if they filmed him, had circulated widely across X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok on Wednesday.
As of press time, the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
