A man who identifies himself as a serving Nigerian police officer has sparked outrage after appearing in a viral video threatening to kill anyone who records him while on duty.

The man, who gives his name as Newton Isokpehi and claims to have spent 26 years in the Nigeria Police Force, is seen in the clip wearing a police uniform and speaking directly to the camera. Switching between Pidgin and English, he vows to open fire on civilians who attempt to film him and to “clear everybody” in any vehicle or area where such recording takes place.

“Any day I’m on duty as a police officer, carrying my rifle and doing my job, let somebody come and video me,” he says. “The number of you that I kill, [my superior] will be the one to bury all of you.”

He repeatedly dares members of the public to approach him with a camera, insisting he will shoot indiscriminately if he feels provoked. He also directs furious threats at any senior officer he believes may have authorised citizens to record police activities, warning of “serious wahala” and vowing to “deal with” such superiors.

Checks on TikTok show an account bearing the name “Newton isokpehi for life” with the username “actor459”, featuring multiple videos of the same man in police uniform alongside personal content. The contentious video was later removed, but earlier clips of him in uniform remained visible.

In the viral recording, he lifts his sleeve to display what he describes as bullet wounds and gunshot scars, using them to highlight the dangers and poor welfare conditions he says officers endure. “Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop,” he laments, accusing the system of exploiting rank-and-file policemen.

Despite his anger, he acknowledges that the current Inspector General of Police has begun releasing long-delayed insurance and death benefits to families of fallen officers, suggesting some recent reforms within the force.

The Punch newspaper, which first reported the video, noted it could not independently verify whether Isokpehi is currently a serving officer. The Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official response when the video gained traction online.

Public reaction across social media has been overwhelmingly condemnatory, with many Nigerians describing the threats as reckless, unprofessional, and symptomatic of deeper problems of impunity and mistrust between the police and the communities they are meant to protect.