Police officers stationed at the Odo Iya Alaro Link Bridge in the Maryland area of Lagos State have come under public scrutiny following allegations that they pushed a motorist off the bridge during a confrontation over an alleged Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane violation.
The allegation emerged in a video shared on Facebook by Objectv Media on Friday, showing a chaotic scene involving several police officers and a group of young men on the bridge.
According to the report accompanying the video, the incident occurred after officers stopped the motorist for allegedly driving on the designated BRT lane. The situation reportedly escalated into a heated argument over the alleged traffic offence and the penalty demanded before the man was allegedly pushed from the bridge.
Footage circulating on social media showed a confrontation involving several police officers and more than 10 young men on the bridge. Another part of the video captured a man lying on the ground below, surrounded by a crowd believed to be sympathisers and passersby.
In the video, the narrator, speaking in Pidgin English, accused the officers of routinely harassing motorists over alleged BRT lane violations and extorting large sums of money from them.
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According to the narrator, motorists intercepted on the BRT lane are often compelled to pay between N50,000 and N100,000 to avoid further action.
He alleged that the victim in the incident refused to withdraw money allegedly demanded by the officers, leading to the confrontation.
The narrator further claimed that the officers regularly position themselves at the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge, where they stop motorists, cause traffic congestion and detain suspected traffic offenders.
He alleged that during the argument, the officers pushed the motorist off the bridge, resulting in his fall onto the roadway below.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the identity of the alleged victim and the circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently verified. It also remained unclear whether the victim survived or sustained serious injuries.
Efforts to obtain official reactions from the relevant authorities were unsuccessful.
When contacted, the Head of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, referred enquiries to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.
Attempts to reach the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, were unsuccessful as calls placed to her telephone line did not connect, while a text message sent to her had not received a response as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, efforts to obtain comments from the Lagos State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and text messages sent to the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, had not been responded to at the time of publication.