Shame in Uniform: Viral Video of Chinese Giving Cash to Nigerian Policemen Sparks Outrage
April 16, 2025 | IDNN Social Accountability Desk
A viral video showing Chinese nationals handing out cash to uniformed Nigerian police officers has ignited a storm of condemnation across Nigeria, with many citizens describing the scene as “disgraceful,” “colonial,” and “embarrassing.”
The video, which surfaced on social media on Tuesday, shows at least 25 officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) lining up in horizontal rows to receive ₦5,000 each from a Chinese man — a transaction that appeared coordinated, deliberate, and recorded by observers at the scene.
📹 Chinese Give Cash to Nigerian Policemen in Broad Daylight
The footage, less than two minutes long, opens with a male Chinese national distributing bundles of ₦1,000 notes to a row of smiling officers. The policemen, fully armed and in uniform, responded with “thank you” as they received the cash.
As the first batch was served, the man handed the remaining stack of money to a female Chinese national, who continued the distribution while other Chinese present filmed the process with mobile phones.
The incident reportedly occurred near a containerized blue-painted facility, resembling a warehouse or construction site. While the exact location remains unconfirmed, viewers speculate that the officers were assigned to the site for private security detail.
Police Morale or Transactional Gratitude?
Though the motive behind the gesture remains unclear, the optics have raised major concerns. Was this generosity or a form of transactional inducement?
Critics argue that regardless of intent, the act represents a gross violation of ethical conduct expected of public security officers. Accepting cash handouts while in full regalia and under public observation undermines both the image and autonomy of the Nigeria Police.
“This is how state institutions lose moral authority,” tweeted a rights activist.
“Imagine foreign nationals distributing cash to U.S. police officers on duty. It would be a national scandal.”
🇳🇬 A Broken Force: Context Behind the Controversy
The video, while shocking, highlights deeper systemic issues. Nigerian police officers are notoriously underpaid, often living in dilapidated barracks, and are exposed to corrupt practices due to poor welfare.
Investigations by FIJ and other outlets have chronicled how some officers extort, brutalize, or unlawfully detain citizens, often as a result of low morale and institutional neglect.
This latest video now brings a foreign dimension to domestic dysfunction, suggesting how international players — particularly those in the booming mining and infrastructure sectors — may be taking advantage of a vulnerable security architecture.
📌 IDNN ANALYSIS: National Shame in a Viral Frame
This is not just a viral video — it is visual documentation of a failed system. It lays bare the contradiction of a sovereign nation whose officers, tasked with enforcing law and protecting public integrity, are lining up like dependents for foreign handouts.
What should alarm Nigerians most is not just the optics of uniformed men accepting petty cash, but the normalized erosion of institutional dignity, caught on camera, without fear or discretion.
If there was ever a moment to demand comprehensive police reform, it is now.
