Josephine Otabor, the 2022 BBNaija winner fondly called Phyna, and a police officer in Lagos got into a heated war of words over the weekend.
In a now-viral video, the reality star appeared to have been stopped on a highway in Lagos for a stop-and-search operation by some officers.
Phyna, who seemed irked by the manner of approach of the law enforcement agents, aired her displeasure.
The situation quickly escalated into a verbal altercation.
During the confrontation, the reality star went live on Instagram to question the mode of operations of the officers.
In the footage, Phyna is heard telling one of the officers that “you would have handled me better”.
In his reply, the police officer said “I never knew you from anywhere, you call yourself a celebrity. That your celebrity is for you.
Phyna retorted: “Baba, you for no video. My own be say, you go let me waka from the motor side.
“You would tell me step out, I would step out, then you video. Not that I’m coming down and you’re carrying camera. No na.
“I never know you for anywhere, you call yourself celebrity.” – Police Officer to Phyna#BBNaija pic.twitter.com/Gy4z7X5yq3
— AE (@AssistantEbukaa) November 6, 2023
Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson of the state police command, took to X to react to the incident on Tuesday.
Hundeyin wondered why some Nigerians get offended when a police officer films them when they break traffic rules but have no issues recording law enforcement agents.
He also revealed that the reality star broke a traffic law, which is why she was filmed as evidence.
If you were in my shoes, somebody carries phone on your face, you’ll get angry. You’ll get angry! – a Nigerian,” he wrote.
You guys can’t even take what you dish out. A police officer uses his phone to record you, not randomly, but while you’re breaking a traffic rule and you’re all worked up about it, asking which law empowers him to rightfully get evidence. You’re unusual.
But law does not matter when you record police officers in the line of duty, sometimes just to agitate them and quickly scream harassment.
If you were in my shoes, somebody carries phone on your face, you’ll get angry. You’ll get angry! – a Nigerian 🙄
You guys can’t even take what you dish out. A police officer uses his phone to record you, not randomly, but while you’re breaking a traffic rule and you’re all… pic.twitter.com/2urRsEP58K
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) November 7, 2023
