Lagos Tragedy: Man Dies in Canal Fall During Police Chase [VIDEO]

Lagos Man Falls to Death While Evading Police

“Since we saw this video, we have been making concerted efforts to verify this claim but nothing has...”

Fatal Pursuit: Lagos man dies after falling into canal during police chase - Two officers detained.

A tragic incident occurred in the Ayobo area of Ipaja, Lagos State, where a man lost his life while attempting to evade arrest by plainclothes police officers. The officers had allegedly accused him of being an internet fraudster, reportedly due to his tattoos. Unfortunately, the man fell into a canal and sustained fatal injuries.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unfolding, with conflicting reports emerging. A friend of the deceased man's wife took to claim that two police officers involved in the incident have been detained. However, Benjamin Hundeyin, the state Police Public Relations Officer, denied knowledge of this claim when contacted for confirmation on October 18.

The incident raises concerns about the methods used by law enforcement to identify and apprehend suspects. While the police may have had reasons to suspect the man, his fatal fall into the canal highlights the need for caution and accountability in such situations.

 

Yesterday morning,police chased this man till he fell into the canal,they took his slippers and money that fell and left when people started shouting. This happened at federal bus stop,ipaja Ayobo axis
He is currently unconscious at Lasuth@BenHundeyin @PoliceNG pic.twitter.com/NZUvWZeKda

— Tima kellogs 🇳🇬 (@KellogsTima) October 17, 2024

As the investigation continues, officials will likely scrutinize the actions of the police officers involved, considering factors such as:

The legitimacy of the accusations: Were the officers justified in labeling the man an internet fraudster based on his tattoos?

The pursuit and arrest methods: Were the officers' tactics reasonable and proportionate to the situation?

Accountability and transparency: Will the police department take responsibility for the man's death and provide a thorough explanation of the events leading up to the incident?

The public awaits clarity on these questions and expects a thorough investigation to ensure justice is served.

Rescue efforts were undertaken after the man fell into the canal, but unfortunately, he was found unconscious. Rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja GRA, he succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

The tragic sequence of events was shared on Twitter by Omorhemi, a friend of the deceased's wife. In a series of tweets posted on October 18, Omorhemi provided details of the incident, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the man's untimely death.

“Yesterday morning, the police chased my friend's husband till he fell into the canal. They took his slippers and money that fell and left when people started shouting. This happened at the Federal Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo axis. He is currently unconscious at LASUTH.

“The officers were on mufti. They stopped him on a bike, and the bike man left. They searched him insisting he is a Yahoo boy because of his tattoos and started cocking their guns that they will shoot him, he started moving away saying he was not and they started following him till he ran.

“According to eyewitnesses, he stopped and they searched him, they didn't see anything but insisted he is a Yahoo boy and started cocking their guns; he didn't even run till they started trying to hit him. He was moving away gently till they started running and he slipped,” Omorhemi wrote.

On Thursday evening, October 17, State Police PRO Benjamin Hundeyin responded to the video, stating that although the incident hadn't been reported to the police station, an investigation was already underway.

“Since we saw this video, we have been making concerted efforts to verify this claim but nothing has turned up yet. We have checked our records and no report has been made till now of this incident that the narrator explained happened yesterday. Nonetheless, our investigation is ongoing,” Hundeyin wrote.

“The Area Commander covering that entire axis is personally on it. Anyone with additional and useful information should please reach out to us. We will keep the public updated on our findings.”

In a Twitter update on October 18, Omorhemi shared the sad news that the man had lost his life, passing away in the hospital on Wednesday night.

“He has given up! I'm yet to tell the wife as of now. Nigerian Police! Nigerian Police!! I am not pleased to inform you that this young man died in the middle of the night on Wednesday few hours after the incident,” Omorhemi wrote.

“The wife went to the police station, Area P to report and the officers asked her if they were the ones that pushed him. She couldn't wait as she wasn't stable while still trying to get her husband to receive the best treatment.

“All hands have been on deck to make sure the man survived which was why follow-up at the station was not done. There are eyewitnesses on this platform that saw the incident unfold.”

In a follow-up tweet on October 18, Omorhemi announced that the two officers accused of chasing the man had been detained.

 

“Thanks to some eyewitnesses who have been able to point out two from the officers and the cooperation of their DPO, they have been taken and detained at Area M where the Area commander is Benjamin Hundeyin and Olumuyiwa Adejobi,” she wrote.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, responded to Omorhemi's claim about the detention of the policemen involved in the incident, saying, “I am aware of such.”