A yet-to-be-identified man has tragically died from injuries sustained after falling into a canal while trying to evade arrest by police officers who accused him of being a fraudster in the Ayobo area of Ipaja, Lagos State.
Reports indicate that a friend of the deceased’s wife shared on X.com that two policemen have been detained in connection with the incident.
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However, Benjamin Hundeyin, the state Police Public Relations Officer, stated that he was unaware of this claim when contacted for confirmation.
The man was reportedly targeted for arrest due to his tattoos, which the plain-clothed officers associated with Internet fraud.
After falling into the canal, he was found unconscious and subsequently rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja GRA, where he was pronounced dead.
This information was shared in a series of tweets on X.com on Thursday by a user named Omorhemi, who identified herself as a friend of the deceased’s wife.
“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.
In response to the video on Thursday evening, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that the incident had not yet been reported to the police station, but he confirmed that an investigation was still underway.
He wrote, “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.
“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.”
However, sharing an update in a series of tweets on Friday, Omorhemi announced that the man died late on Wednesday night while at the hospital.
She wrote, “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.
“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 subsequent tweet on Friday afternoon, Omorhemi revealed that two of the officers who allegedly pursued 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.
