Authorities investigate footage of law enforcement assaulting a merchant in Lagos

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The Lagos State Police Command has commenced an investigation into a viral video showing the alleged assault of a gold seller by some policemen in the Festac area of Lagos.

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The command disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X handle on Saturday, saying the officers captured in the video had been identified as personnel attached to Area E Command.

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The incident, which reportedly occurred on Friday, gained widespread attention on Saturday after the victim shared videos alleging that he was assaulted by the officers while delivering a gold necklace to a customer.

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In the videos, the man claimed he was stopped and searched by the officers, who allegedly found no incriminating item on him but questioned a digital scale he said he used for weighing gold.

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According to him, the officers accused him of using the scale to weigh cannabis and ordered him to accompany them to the police station.

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He alleged that he refused because he had committed no offence and became suspicious as the officers were not properly dressed in police uniforms while the vehicle they arrived in had no registration number.

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The man further alleged that the officers dragged him in an attempt to force him into the vehicle, hit him on the head with a gun and physically assaulted him.

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The footage showed a brief outdoor confrontation near a red minibus before cutting to the man, who displayed an injury near his eye and a gold necklace he said he was delivering at the time of the incident.

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A follow-up video also surfaced online in which the man alleged that one of the officers instructed his colleagues to open fire before they fled the scene.

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Reacting to the videos, the Lagos State Police Command said the officers involved had been identified and summoned for investigation.

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“The Lagos State Police Command has seen the video and has commenced an investigation into the incident.

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“The officers involved have been identified as personnel attached to Area E Command. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, has directed the Area Commander to immediately produce the officers at the Command Headquarters for further investigation and appropriate action.

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“The individual featured in the video is kindly urged to contact the Command’s Complaint Response Unit on 09111111150 or 09111111151 to assist with the ongoing investigation,” the statement read.

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