The Delta State Police Command has finally responded to a viral video that showed a female officer manhandling a woman in white shorts and a black top—an encounter that many Nigerians believed was an arrest over “indecent dressing.” But the Command says there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
In the video that made rounds on social media, the woman—visibly distressed—was seen being shoved into a police van by an officer, while her friend tried to intervene. Many Nigerians were quick to connect the action to the state’s controversial announcement last month that it would begin cracking down on “indecent dressing” across the state.
As the video sparked a wave of public outrage, some saw it as proof that the police had already begun enforcing moral laws in the streets without due process.
But in a post via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, debunked that claim. According to him, there was no evidence in the footage that the woman was being arrested because of what she was wearing.
“There is no reason to believe that this is as a result of indecent dressing,” Edafe wrote. “Let’s ask ourselves, why is the other lady not being harassed? Any difference in their dressing?”
Edafe’s comment appears to be an attempt to cool public tension and steer the conversation away from what many saw as another sign of growing police overreach. While he did not offer further context on what prompted the officer’s action, his post suggested that something else—outside the scope of “morality policing”—might have led to the confrontation.
Still, questions linger.
Critics argue that regardless of what the real reason was, manhandling a civilian without clear justification only deepens public distrust in the police. Many have also called on the Delta State Police Command to issue a more comprehensive statement explaining the incident and, if necessary, take disciplinary action.
For now, the video remains one of several recent incidents fuelling debate about the limits of police authority, personal freedom, and what qualifies as “indecent” in a diverse, democratic society.
