A Lagos police sergeant, Johnson Okediji, has died after he was allegedly knocked down and dragged under a vehicle during a stop-and-search operation in the Egbeda area of the state.
The incident occurred on September 26 along Olugbede Street, Egbeda, when officers conducting the operation reportedly flagged down a Lexus ES 350 with registration number FKJ 223 KX.
According to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, the driver initially stopped but allegedly accelerated as Sergeant Okediji approached the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The officer was reportedly knocked down and dragged underneath the car for several metres despite attempts by fellow officers and passers-by to get the driver to stop.
Okediji sustained multiple fractures and severe head injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital before being referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The police said the officer’s remains have been deposited at Mainland Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The Lexus was subsequently recovered by the police, while the driver, identified as 21-year-old Olumide Olusola, was chased and arrested.
The incident comes amid increased enforcement operations by the Lagos State Police Command, including a crackdown on vehicles with covered number plates and unregistered vehicles.
Tijani disclosed that more than 41 vehicles were impounded during an early-morning enforcement operation, with further checks continuing across the state.
The commissioner said the command would protect officers lawfully performing their duties while also ensuring accountability for any personnel whose conduct falls below expected standards.
He urged motorists and other members of the public to cooperate with security personnel during lawful operations.
“Security is a shared responsibility,” Tijani said, while assuring residents that the command would sustain proactive and intelligence-led policing across Lagos.
