The Police has launched an investigation into an alleged assault by officers in Ogun State.
In a viral video, a truck driver said to be in Ijebu-Ode claimed he was pursued and assaulted by men impersonating members of the Nigerian Police Force.
The truck driver, whose identity has not been independently verified, also accused the men of attempting to coerce him into stopping while the vehicle was in motion, putting him and other road users at risk.
The driver alleged that the attackers, who identified themselves as members of a task force, chased him in Ijebu-Ode around 4 am that day, breaking his vehicle and threatening his life.
In the video, the driver said he was being targeted for no reason, describing the alleged attackers as both armed and aggressive.
“They have been pursuing me with guns and stones. They claimed to be a task force, but they are thieves. Come to my aid, IG of Police, Nigerians, please come to my aid.
“They have been pursuing me since I got to Ijebu-Ode. The police officers are drunk,” he said, pointing toward a man he claimed was directly responsible for stopping him.
The video also shows the men assaulting the driver while he films the encounter, with the window glass of his truck smashed and several of the men visibly armed.
An individual in the viral video was wearing a t-shirt commonly used by police personnel, which added to the confusion and fear of the driver.
It is this particular one that stopped me. This one is a police officer. Look at who they called police officer,” he said.
Responding to the incident, the Ogun State Police Command, Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi in a statement on Sunday, clarified that the man in question is not an officer of the Nigerian Police Force.
“The Ogun State Police Command clarifies that the individual in the above reference is not a member of the Nigeria Police Force. Verification is ongoing in collaboration with relevant authorities to ascertain the individual’s identity and status, as investigations and inter-agency engagements continue,” Babaseyi said.
The police said the command is taking the matter seriously and urged members of the public to report similar incidents to ensure swift intervention.
“I was asked to stop while on motion. Why would I stop?” he said, recounting the tense moments as the attackers circled and followed his truck with motorcycles and other vehicles.
