Officers accused of forcing motorist off Lagos bridge

A disturbing incident has unfolded at the Odo Iya Alaro Link Bridge in the Maryland area, off Ojota, Lagos, where police officers allegedly pushed a motorist off a bridge during a dispute over driving on a Bus Rapid Transit lane. The altercation reportedly began when the officers flagged down the vehicle for an alleged BRT lane violation.

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The encounter quickly escalated into a heated argument over the penalty, culminating in the alleged assault, as captured in a video shared by Objectv Media on Facebook on Friday. The footage shows some police officers arguing with a group of at least 10 young men on top of the bridge.

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The video also reveals the alleged victim, surrounded by people believed to be sympathizers, after being pushed off the bridge. A narrator can be heard speaking in Pidgin English, describing the incident and the actions of the police officers.

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The narrator claims that the police officers routinely harass motorists on the BRT lane in Maryland, imposing fines of N50,000 or N80,000, and that the alleged victim was pushed off the bridge for refusing to pay. The narrator also states that the police officers cause traffic and detain people, and that the incident is an example of their modus operandi.

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The identity of the alleged victim and his current status, whether alive or dead, could not be verified as of the time of filing this report. The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, under the Ministry of Transportation, is responsible for managing BRT lane enforcement and monitoring in Lagos.

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In July last year, the Lagos State Government temporarily suspended enforcement of the BRT lane along the Eko Bridge and Odo Iya Alaro corridor to alleviate growing traffic congestion. However, in October, the state government announced the resumption of BRT lane enforcement on the two bridges.

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When contacted, the Head of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at LAMATA, Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, referred inquiries to the Ministry of Transportation for comments. The Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola, did not respond to calls or a text message requesting comments.

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Efforts to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, for comments were also unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were not answered and a text message sent to him had not been replied to as of the time of filing this report.