A routine stop-and-search operation in Lagos has ended in tragedy following the death of a police sergeant, Johnson Okediji, who was allegedly knocked down and dragged under a vehicle in the Egbeda area of the state.
The incident occurred at about 2:20 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026, along Olugbede Street, Egbeda, according to the Lagos State Police Command.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as 21-year-old Olumide Olusola, has been arrested by the police in connection with the incident.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed the development on Monday during a briefing on the command’s operational activities for September at the police headquarters in Ikeja.
According to Tijani, officers conducting stop-and-search operations along the road flagged down a Lexus ES 350 with registration number FKJ 223 KX, driven by Olusola.
The commissioner said the driver initially stopped in response to the police signal but allegedly accelerated as Sergeant Okediji approached the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Tijani said the officer was knocked down and dragged underneath the vehicle for several metres.
He added that fellow police officers and passers-by reportedly made repeated attempts to get the driver to stop, but the vehicle continued moving before the driver was eventually pursued and arrested.
The sergeant sustained multiple fractures and serious head injuries in the incident.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment and subsequently referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH.
However, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
The police said the deceased officer’s remains were deposited at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy, while the Lexus was recovered and taken to a police station for further investigation.
Driver disputes police account
Meanwhile, Olusola has denied deliberately knocking down the police officer.
Speaking after he was paraded by the Lagos State Police Command, the 21-year-old said he had noticed the police officers ahead and was preparing to stop when Sergeant Okediji moved in front of the vehicle.
He claimed that the vehicle’s brakes failed, resulting in the incident.
His account differs from the version presented by the police, who said he initially stopped but suddenly sped off as the sergeant approached the driver’s side.
The conflicting accounts are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation as detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.
The police have recovered the vehicle involved and are expected to examine it as part of the investigation, including the driver’s claim of brake failure.
Police intensify September operations
The incident was disclosed alongside a broader account of the Lagos Police Command’s security operations during September.
According to the command, 32 suspects were arrested in connection with various alleged offences, while 43 vehicles and several firearms, ammunition and other exhibits were recovered during operations across the state.
The police said the September operations also resulted in the recovery of five pump-action guns, five locally made pistols, 20 live rounds or cartridges, 15 expended ammunition and N2.5 million cash, among other exhibits.
The command also reported the impounding of more than 41 vehicles during an enforcement operation targeting vehicles with covered number plates and unregistered vehicles.
The death of Sergeant Okediji, however, has brought the issue of compliance during police stop-and-search operations into sharper focus, particularly the danger created when motorists allegedly fail to stop or attempt to evade security personnel.
The police have urged motorists to comply with lawful instructions from officers carrying out their duties and to avoid actions that could endanger themselves, security personnel or other road users.
The command said investigation into the death of Sergeant Okediji was ongoing, with the circumstances surrounding the incident expected to be established through the investigative process.
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