The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, on Thursday, visited the cyclist seen in a viral video attacked and injured by a policeman wielding a big stick in the Abule-Egba area of the metropolis.
In the video, a group of policemen swooped on the cyclist and tried to wrest his motorcycle, he, however, resisted.
This made one of the policemen, armed with a stick slam it on the cyclist’s forehead. The cyclist started bleeding profusely, with the blood coursing down his face.
The third policeman rode away on the victim’s motorcycle while the two others immediately left the scene in a tricycle.
It was a terrible sight and had naturally elicited outrage from concerned Nigerians, with many calling for the arrest of the policeman.
Commercial cyclists in Lagos State had repeatedly been attacked and chased by policemen, especially taskforce policemen, who are enforcing the state government’s motorcycles restriction in the state.
Cyclists had been attacked and extorted several times.
According to Nigerians, restriction of motorcycle operations does not translate to killing the riders.
According to reports gathered by securitynewsalert.com, the policeman who attacked the cyclist in the Abule-Egba area of the state and his other team members have been arrested.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, in a series of tweets via his Twitter account, said that Owohunwa condemned the policemen’s actions and told the public that disciplinary action had already been taken against the men.
He added: “CP Idowu Owohunwa today visited the young man involved in this incident and members/leadership of the Hausa community in Abattoir Market, Agege.
“The CP, who condemned the excessive use of force by the policemen in enforcing the existing ban on the use of motorcycles in certain parts of Lagos State, has assured members of the public that the disciplinary measures already initiated against the men would be brought to a logical conclusion and the outcome made public. The Command will continue to ensure that the rule of law is upheld, while not relenting in enforcing the laws of the land.”
