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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Police probe video of ‘officer’ driving Lagos bus, threatening passengers

From The Punch · (5m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Nigeria Police Force is investigating a viral video showing a man in police attire driving a commercial bus and allegedly threatening passengers.
  • The incident, which reportedly occurred near Eko Bridge in Lagos, involved the driver becoming aggressive when passengers questioned him.
  • Police are working to verify the individual's status as a serving officer, emphasizing that such behavior is unprofessional and unacceptable.

A disturbing video circulating online has prompted an investigation by the Nigeria Police Force, capturing an incident where an individual, allegedly in police attire, drove a commercial bus and issued threats to passengers.

You talk say you want to kill. You see wetin Nigeria police dey do. You dey follow full bus argue. You wan put us for water.

— PassengerQuoting the driver's alleged threats during the confrontation.

The footage, which appears to have been filmed near the Eko Bridge in Lagos, shows a man wearing a police T-shirt and cap engaging in an aggressive exchange with passengers. Reports suggest the confrontation escalated when passengers questioned the driver's decision to stop the bus abruptly, leading to alleged threats of violence.

We were literally dropped in the middle of the road because the driver wanted to buy fuel, without any proper explanation or concern for our safety. When people understandably began to question what was going on, instead of calming the situation, he became aggressive and started issuing threats, saying he would kill us and dump our bodies into the water near Eko Bridge.

— X user OyindamolaProviding an account of the incident based on passenger experience.

While the individual was seen wearing items marked 'NPF/Police,' the Force's New Media Officer, CSP Aliyu Giwa, has confirmed that the man was not in standard police uniform and his status as a serving officer is still under verification. This distinction is crucial, as the police department has been quick to condemn such unprofessional conduct, stating that any behavior threatening or intimidating citizens is unacceptable.

Our attention has been drawn to a video circulating online concerning the alleged actions of an individual in Lagos. Initial observations show the individual is not in a standard police uniform but is wearing items labelled ‘NPF/Police.’ His status as a serving officer remains unconfirmed.

— CSP Aliyu GiwaConfirming the police's awareness of the video and initial findings.

This incident raises significant concerns about public safety and the conduct of individuals who may be misrepresenting law enforcement. The police's swift response in launching an investigation and their public commitment to addressing the matter underscore the importance of accountability. From a Nigerian perspective, such events, even if perpetrated by individuals not officially affiliated with the force, erode public trust and highlight the need for constant vigilance and clear communication from law enforcement agencies regarding their personnel and their conduct.

Such behaviour is unprofessional, and any conduct that threatens or intimidates citizens is unacceptable.

— CSP Aliyu GiwaCondemning the alleged actions depicted in the video.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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