Police arrest ‘spy officer’ who accused Obaseki, Ighodalo of financial mismanagement

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested a supernumerary (popularly called spy) police officer who accused Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, of mismanaging public funds.

In a viral video, a man in a police uniform accused Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, of allegedly “using state resources” to build personal projects.

The man in the video is Blessing Agbomhere, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state.

He was one of the party’s governorship hopefuls for the forthcoming election. He is the APC south-south zonal organising secretary.

“This election, which is coming up on 21st September, is not just about APC, PDP, and Labour. It’s about the evil acts committed by Godwin Obaseki and Ighodalo against the people of this state,” he said.

“They have fought and betrayed democracy, abandoned the rule of law, stolen our resources, and this is the time for judgment.

“This is the time for the people to tell them that we are the rightful owners of this state. Obaseki and Ighodalo have jointly wrecked Edo state, plunging us into debt. They used our resources to build their personal estates.”

Is her truly a police man? pic.twitter.com/0gQ6h8j3XE

— Chudé (@chude__) September 11, 2024

Reacting to the video, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said spy officers are not conventional policemen and that they are not on the payroll of the NPF.

“In this extant case, the police frown at the wearing of his official SPY uniform and engaging in political activities,” Adejobi said.

“The individual involved has been arrested for further investigations. We reiterate that his political comments do not reflect the views of the Nigeria Police, and the public is urged to disregard any such statements and trust in our continued commitment to professionalism, neutrality, and the rule of law.”

Spy police are individuals mainstreamed into the police force on a temporary basis to perform certain functions — mostly at the request of private organisations or government officials.

Spy police officers are usually deployed to protect public and private facilities or carry out security functions.

According to the Nigeria Police Act 2020, spy police officers are not paid by the NPF, but by the organisations that request their services.

Editor’s Note: This story has been adjusted to reflect that the man in the viral video is Blessing Agbomhere, APC chieftain in Edo.