The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed social-media claims that a police inspector featured in a viral video was caught stealing. The command described the narrative accompanying the footage as “false and misleading.”
The video, which went viral on Wednesday, shows a uniformed police officer bloodied from the mouth seated on the ground, surrounded by an angry crowd. The officer appears distraught and pleading, while onlookers record the scene on their phones. Voices in the background accuse him repeatedly of theft, chanting “Ole!” (thief). A yellow commercial bus with the name “Ayedade” is visible, suggesting the incident occurred along a busy Lagos corridor.
At one point, another officer tries to push through the crowd to rescue his colleague.
According to a statement issued Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, the inspector attached to the Lagos State Taskforce was on official duty enforcing the state’s ban on illegal parking along Brown Street, Oshodi. The inspector allegedly stopped a motorist who was about to park incorrectly; the motorist reportedly became violent, sparking a confrontation.
“In the course of his duty, he stopped a motorist who attempted to park wrongly. The motorist became violent, resulting in a heated confrontation,” Adebisi said.
During the incident, the inspector accidentally discharged his firearm onto the road. Debris from the impact caused concern among passersby. As the crowd gathered, the inspector was violently attacked and sustained serious injuries.
The Police Command also said the inspector has been disciplined for “unprofessional conduct,” while thirteen suspects shown in the viral video assaulting the officer have been arrested and will face prosecution once investigations conclude.
The arrested suspects are: Dele Oriade (39 yrs), Adekunle Olalere (40), Mudashiru Olamilekan (28), Anayo Achusie (34), Joshua Enwonyin (24), Okoro Okechukwu (26), Rilwan Lateef (32), Damilare Odebode (22), Haruna Aleshi (25), Sodiq Omoniyi (26), Chukwudi Patience (25), Godstime Okafor (26), and Chinedu Divine (29).
Further, the state police commissioner, CP Olohundare Jimoh, condemned the “unprofessional conduct” of the personnel involved. He also warned that assaulting law-enforcement officers is a criminal offence and will not be condoned.
The PRO urged the public to “remain calm, avoid spreading misinformation, and continue to cooperate with the police in maintaining law and order across the state.”
Credit: Fawzi Kehinde
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