THE Lagos State Police and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) have brutalised a resident of Lagos State who identified himself as an Uber driver at Lekki Toll Gate on Wednesday.
In a video recorded by Arise Television, the Uber driver was seen forcibly being pushed into a Police van by at least four police and LNSC officials.
The victim, who resisted the attempts by the security operatives, repeatedly identified himself as a driver and presented his Uber application as evidence.
“I didn’t do anything. Please, this is my app, I’m an Uber guy. I don’t have anybody in Lagos,” he repeated, while showing the officials his Uber profile.
The assault, which dragged on for several minutes, saw the officials applying pepper spray and tear gas directly into his eyes multiple times before he managed to escape with a bloodied face and several other injuries.
Other protesters and members of the press were also assaulted during the period, including the Arise Television crew.
Speaking on the issue with members of the press, Lagos State Commissioner of Police Hakeem Odumosu blamed the harassment of protesters and pressmen on the ‘Judases’ within the force and said investigations would be carried out into the arrests made at the scene.
“Even if an armed robber is arrested robbing, he will still claim that he was not. The evidence will prove. This place is not where people normally trek. You’ve seen the place; it’s not a marketplace where people come to buy and sell. It is only for vehicular movement.
“Let us just be on the same synergy. If you want a protest from one place to another or you want to move from point A to point B, let us know. We’ll give you security,” he said.
One year after a nationwide protest against police brutality in Nigeria, the menace is still at its peak and has remained unaddressed by the Nigerian government.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.