Police officers stationed at the Odo Iya Alaro Link Bridge in the Maryland area of Lagos State have been accused of pushing a motorist off the bridge during an altercation over an alleged Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane violation.
The allegation surfaced in a video shared on social media on Friday, with eyewitnesses claiming the incident occurred after officers stopped the driver for allegedly using the designated BRT lane.
According to the account in the viral video, the encounter escalated into a heated argument over the alleged offence and the penalty before the motorist was allegedly pushed from the bridge.
Footage circulating online showed several police officers confronting a group of young men on the bridge. Another clip showed a man lying on the ground below, surrounded by a crowd believed to be sympathisers and bystanders.
The narrator in the video accused the officers of regularly harassing motorists over alleged BRT lane violations and demanding large sums of money.
“All those BRT people who stay at the BRT lane in Maryland have pushed someone from the top of the bridge. This is how they hold motorists all the time and make them withdraw ₦50,000 or ₦80,000 as a fine.
“They stop vehicles on the BRT lane and impose fines of ₦80,000 or ₦100,000. Just because he refused to withdraw money for them, they pushed him off the bridge,” the narrator alleged.
The individual further claimed that the officers routinely cause traffic congestion while stopping motorists along the bridge.
As of the time of filing this report, the identity and condition of the alleged victim could not be independently verified, and it remains unclear whether he survived the fall.
Reacting to enquiries, the Head of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Kolawole Ojelabi, referred journalists to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.
Attempts to obtain comments from the ministry were unsuccessful, as calls to its Director of Public Affairs, Bolanle Ogunlola, did not connect, while a text message had yet to receive a response.
Similarly, efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Command for an official reaction were unsuccessful. Calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, were not answered, and a text message sent to her had not been replied to as of the time of this report.
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