A man reportedly drowned in a canal in the Ipaja area of Lagos while attempting to evade police officers, according to the Lagos State Police Command.
In a statement shared on Friday via his verified X handle (@benHundeyin), the Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that the police were not directly involved in chasing the man into the canal. The incident occurred on Wednesday at around 10:00 a.m. in the Mosan Okunola area.
“The young man was a passenger on a motorcycle that was riding against the flow of traffic. When the motorcycle rider noticed an approaching police vehicle, he made a sudden U-turn, prompting the passenger to jump off, cross the road, and run toward a nearby tipper garage,” Hundeyin explained.
According to witnesses at the scene, the man emptied his pockets as he fled and was warned about the canal ahead. However, he ignored the warnings and tragically jumped into the water.
“The police officers, startled by his actions, stopped their vehicle and went toward the canal. The people around informed the officers that the man had jumped in,” Hundeyin noted.
After waiting for several minutes without seeing any signs of him, the officers left, assuming he had successfully escaped.
“The police did not speak to, touch, or chase the man. He simply bolted upon seeing them,” he emphasized.
SP Hundeyin assured residents that the police command, under the leadership of CP Olanrewaju Ishola, remains committed to upholding professionalism and would not tolerate any misconduct from its officers.
He also expressed condolences to the deceased’s family, praying for strength during their difficult time.
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