In what is raising fresh questions about freedom of expression within the ranks of the Nigeria Police Force, a police inspector in Ondo State has been arrested for allegedly sharing a post about a planned protest demanding better welfare for police personnel.
Inspector Emoruwa Olabode, attached to the Idanre Police Station, was arrested on Friday, July 4, 2025, over a message shared in a WhatsApp group used by police officers across the country. The message reportedly referenced a nationwide protest scheduled for July 21, 2025, an action aimed at spotlighting poor working conditions and inadequate support for both serving and retired officers.
Sources say Olabode was picked up from his station and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The arrest, insiders revealed, was carried out on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Olabode is one of the administrators of the said WhatsApp group and is being detained for allegedly authoring or amplifying the contentious post. Two other group administrators have also reportedly been detained in connection with the same message.
The case is being handled by the Force Intelligence Department (FID), and Olabode is expected to be transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, July 7.
A retired officer, CSP Iwamitigha Raphael Irowainu, confirmed the development, citing information obtained from Olabode’s wife. According to her, the arrest was led by ACP Okpaleke Obiesie Anthony, the Officer-in-Charge of the State Intelligence Department.
“My husband was arrested on Friday and taken to the state headquarters, where he has been held since,” she said. “The specific offence remains unclear, but we were told the case is now in the hands of the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja.”
She maintained that Olabode denies posting anything that violated police regulations. “That group has existed since 2015,” she explained. “They use it for educational purposes—to discuss the job, share resources, and even post the group’s rules regularly to ensure compliance.”
According to her, Olabode’s statement was taken under caution, and he has yet to be shown the actual post said to have triggered his arrest.
The incident has stirred quiet discontent among some officers and observers, who view the arrest as part of a growing pattern of suppression within the force, especially when it comes to calls for reform and welfare improvements.