Police probe officer, conductor clash on Lagos bus

The Lagos State Police Command has begun an investigation into a viral video showing a uniformed police officer in a physical confrontation with a bus conductor inside a commercial vehicle in the Ikorodu area of the state.

The 90-second clip, which went viral on social media, captured the officer wrestling with the conductor while other passengers attempted to intervene.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, in a statement on Sunday, stated that the commercial bus deliberately obstructed traffic flow along the route, blocking other road users and creating serious gridlock.

She added that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and police personnel on traffic management duties attempted to clear the obstruction, but met resistance.

The statement reads in part, “The driver of the said bus deliberately used the bus to obstruct traffic flow and thereby prevented other road users from using the public way. It was in the process of arresting the conductor that he stripped himself naked to prevent arrest and escape from the scene, and that was when the video was shot.”

The command described the conductor’s actions as violent and an attempt to resist lawful arrest, adding that stripping naked constituted “unnecessary dramatisation” aimed at evading apprehension.

The statement added that the command acknowledged concerns over the officer’s conduct.

“Notwithstanding the behaviour of the conductor resulting in the ugly confusion seen in the video, the police officer has been identified, and he is currently being investigated to determine the appropriateness of his actions in the incident,” Adebisi stated.

She further stated that the yet-to-be-named officer had been withdrawn from street duties pending the outcome of the probe, adding that the bus conductor has also been located and invited for questioning.

“The conductor involved has also been contacted to be available for an interview before the Commissioner of Police on Monday. The impounded bus is currently at an undisclosed police station for further investigation,” the statement confirmed.

The Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, in the statement, appealed for calm and public cooperation.

“The Commissioner of Police wishes to implore members of the general public to be law-abiding at all times; report promptly any conduct or violation of their rights by police officers, and be assured that justice will be done. Resisting lawful arrest is also a criminal offence under the law of the land.”

“Once again, the Lagos State Police Command wishes to assure the general public that this matter will be thoroughly investigated and justice will be done. The Command remains committed to ensuring that the conduct and behaviour of police personnel conform with the law for proper transparency and accountability to the public that we serve,” the statement concluded.

The development comes amid cases of altercation between law enforcement agents and commercial bus drivers and their conductors of traffic-related offences.