Policeman Caught On Camera Demanding ₦5,000 Or Five Litres Of Fuel From Motorists Over ECMR

A video circulating on social media has ignited public outrage after it showed a uniformed policeman demanding a bribe of ₦5,000 or five litres of petrol from motorists for allegedly failing to present an Electronic Central Motor Registry (ECMR) certificate.

The footage, which surfaced on Sunday via X.com user Teniola (@Teeniiola), was reportedly recorded along the Benin Bypass. In it, the officer is seen confronting a group of travellers, insisting they provide ECMR documentation.

OSUN DEFENDER recalls that in July 2024, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, officially suspended the enforcement of the ECMR registration following a national outcry. At the time, citizens had accused police officers of exploiting the policy to extort money from vehicle owners.

Despite the suspension, the officer in the now-viral video appeared undeterred. “You can make call now,” he told one of the travellers, who had informed him that the ECMR requirement was no longer valid.

When the travellers refused to call anyone, the officer demanded five litres of petrol instead.

“We’ll go and buy it, that’s 5k,” he said. “₦5k from each of us abi?” one of the motorists asked, to which the officer made no denial.

Another part of the video shows the policeman asking for three litres of petrol from another traveller.

Reacting to the video, the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Edafe Bright, condemned the officer’s actions in a post on X.

“My God. Thanks for recording this. Little by little, all the moles will be taken out of the system. All these Policemen bringing shame to us, one by one, they will be sent out of the organisation. Maybe when they become jobless, they will go into content creation. This is embarrassing and the Force is on it,” Edafe stated.