Police Avert Lynching Of Officer In Lagos
By Olawunmi Ojo
ATTEMPTS by commercial motorcyclists (Okada) to retaliate the alleged brutalisation of one of their members by a policeman was averted in Lagos yesterday.
The incident, which occurred at Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos, saw the beating of the cyclist to coma by a policeman identified as Michael Emeruwa with number 160173. The victim was reportedly rushed to an unknown place, by a police patrol team, which arrived at the scene.
Witnesses told The Guardian at the scene of the incident near NBM Bank, that the cyclist incurred the wrath of Emeruwa for failing to follow a particular route, which the policeman preferred.
According to them, the angry policeman freely used the butt of his gun on the victim after he had sprayed him with a substance suspected to be tear gas.
The witnesses said that the Okada rider slumped as blood oozed from his nostrils.
Some artisans and cyclists, who rushed to scene, The Guardian learnt were about to lynch the policeman when the patrol team arrived and scared them away.
A cyclist said: "It resulted from a disagreement between the two over the route the Okada rider should follow. The policemen with the name tag Michael Emeruwa and number 160173 wanted to be taken through a particular route, which the Okadaman declined, claiming that it was not part of their bargain.
"Infuriated about the Okadaman's action Policeman Emeruwa resorted to the use of force, drawing the attention of passers-by in the process", he said.
The victim reportedly suffered various degrees of injuries on his head, was later taken away to an unknown destination by the police team in a Peugeot 406 saloon car.
The Guardian's checks at the Ladipo and Olosan Divisional Police stations, both in Mushin, to confirm the incident and trace the whereabouts of the cyclist were futile.
The police at the two stations said they were not aware of the incident.
