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The Police Command in Lagos State has apprehended a 20-year-old driver who allegedly knocked down and dragged a police officer for several metres during a traffic stop, resulting in the officer’s death.
The State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Fatai Tijani, disclosed this on Monday while briefing newsmen at the command headquarters.
Tijani said the incident occurred on Aug. 26 when police officers were conducting a stop-and-search duties on the road.
“The driver initially stopped after being flagged down by the officers but suddenly drove off, knocking down one of the police officers and dragging him underneath the vehicle for several metres,” he said.
“Police officers pursued the vehicle and eventually arrested the driver. The injured officer sustained multiple fractures and serious injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital before being referred to another medical facility.”
Tijani said that the deceased officer, a police sergeant, however, died from his injuries while receiving treatment and his remains had deposited at a mortuary, while the vehicle involved in the incident had been recovered to the police station for investigation.
The commissioner described the incident as unfortunate, stressing that police officers were deployed on the roads to protect lives and property and prevent crime.
He said stop-and-search operations remained an important aspect of conventional policing and complemented intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing and detecting crime and expressed concern over the hostility sometimes faced by police officers while performing their duties.
He reminded members of the public that, police visibility remained important to public safety, and called for cooperation with officers deployed to the roads l, while appealing to motorists to comply with lawful instructions from police officers during stop-and-search operations rather than attempting to evade them.
He, however, advised those who witness police misconduct to report such officers through appropriate channels instead of obstructing officers performing their duties, stressing that effective crime prevention required community support. (NAN)
