A police inspector identified as Emoruwa Olabode has been taken into custody by authorities over a message shared in a WhatsApp group of officers, which is believed to be connected to a planned national protest scheduled for July 21, 2025.
The protest, reportedly being organized by serving and retired police personnel, is aimed at highlighting worsening conditions of service and pension injustice within the Nigeria Police Force.
Olabode, attached to Idanre Police Station in Ondo State, was reportedly arrested on Friday, July 4, and is currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Akure. He is expected to be transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, July 7.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Olabode, one of the administrators of a long-running WhatsApp group for officers, was picked up for a post allegedly related to the protest. Two other administrators are also reportedly in custody, acting on instructions from Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
Speaking to the press, Olabode’s wife confirmed his arrest and voiced concern about the lack of clarity surrounding the allegations against her husband. “My husband was arrested on Friday and taken to the police state headquarters, where he has been in detention since Friday,” she said. “The details of the offense against my husband are not clear until he gets to Abuja. The case is being handled by the Force Intelligence Department (FID).”
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She added that her husband had not been shown the actual post that prompted the arrest, though he was compelled to give a statement under caution. “My husband told me that the said WhatsApp group has been there since 2015, and they have been using it as a social thing to educate themselves and teach themselves about police activities,” she explained. “He said they have rules and that the rules are posted on the platform regularly to remind themselves of the dos and don’ts.”
The arrest has triggered widespread unease, with critics warning that the force is clamping down on officers who support calls for better welfare rather than addressing their legitimate grievances.
While Olabode’s wife linked the arresting officers to ACP Okpaleke Obiesie Anthony of the State Intelligence Department, when contacted, the officer denied involvement, stating, “I am not in charge of the case.”
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