Ogun police detain civilian volunteers in viral video

The Ogun State Police Command, on Monday night, said that the individuals caught in a viral video drinking from disposable are not police officers but ad-hoc civilian volunteers engaged to serve as informants among others.

The police said appropriate measures have also been taken to sanction the said ad hoc volunteers as they have been detained in accordance with established police disciplinary measures.

The state police command in a statement by its spokesperson, SP Omolola Odutola, said the persons in the video were not putting on uniforms saying that this was to further confirm that they were not police officers.

Odutola said that police frequently provide training for volunteers and ad hoc personnel to serve as informants and assist in activities such as traffic decongestion.

These civilian volunteers are said to play a supportive role and are not authorised to perform official law enforcement duties.

The statement partly reads “The Ogun State Police Command would like to address the concerns raised regarding a viral video depicting an individual drinking from a transparent disposable cup. It is important to clarify that the person in the video is not a serving police officer but rather an ad hoc volunteer civilian.

“This can be discerned by the absence of a police uniform or any official police insignia. The individual recorded himself and posted it on social media, acting of his own volition, an act frowned at by the command and which is in flagrant disregard of ethical values.

“The police frequently provides training for volunteers and ad hoc personnel to serve as informants and assist in activities such as traffic decongestion. These civilian volunteers play a supportive role and are not authorised to perform official law enforcement duties.

“However, appropriate measures have been taken by the command to sanction the said adhoc volunteers as they have been detained in accordance with established police disciplinary measures.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Alamutu Abiodun, extends his warm wishes to all residents of Ogun State for a joyful holiday season and reiterates that the Police Force remains committed to maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety and well-being of all and sundry in the state”.