Outrage as police allegedly push motorist off Maryland Bridge in Lagos

Allegations of police brutality have sparked outrage after officers stationed at the Odo Iya Alaro Link Bridge in the Maryland area of Lagos State were accused of pushing a motorist off the bridge during an altercation over an alleged Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane violation.

 

The allegation emerged in a video shared by Objectv Media on Facebook on Friday. According to the report, the incident occurred after the officers stopped the motorist for allegedly driving on the designated BRT lane.

 

The situation reportedly escalated into a heated argument over the alleged traffic offence and the associated penalty before the motorist was allegedly pushed off the bridge.

 

The video showed several police officers confronting more than 10 young men on the bridge, while another scene captured the alleged victim lying on the ground surrounded by sympathisers.

 

Narrating the incident in Pidgin English, the person behind the camera accused the officers of routinely harassing motorists over alleged BRT lane violations and demanding large sums of money.

 

“All those BRT people who stay at the BRT lane in Maryland have pushed someone from the top of the bridge. This is how they hold motorists all the time and make them withdraw N50,000 or N80,000 as a fine.

 

“This is how they operate. They will stop vehicles on the BRT lane and impose fines of N80,000 or N100,000. Just because he refused to withdraw money for them, they pushed him off the bridge where everyone else was driving,” the narrator alleged.

 

As of the time of filing this report, the identity and condition of the alleged victim could not be independently verified, and it remained unclear whether he survived the incident.

 

When contacted, the Head of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Kolawole Ojelabi, referred enquiries to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.