Residents of Alimosho Local Gpvernment Area in Lagos have shared harrowing experiences of being attacked by police officers wielding machetes and bottles.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, involved officers in plain clothes from the Area P command in Lagos State.
The officers, armed with AK-47 rifles, descended upon a shop in the area to apprehend youths engaged in a game of ludo. Despite resistance from residents who argued that playing ludo was not a criminal offense and the officers lacked clear identification, the situation escalated.
Alleging they were under attack, the officers called for reinforcements from the Area P command near the Gate bus stop in Ipaja. Subsequently, approximately 15 officers arrived in three yellow commercial buses, initiating a violent crackdown on the residents.
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Reports emerged of a mechanic being assaulted with an empty bottle on his head while attending to a vehicle in his workshop. He, along with several others, was detained following the altercation.
Additionally, a young man was pursued into a ditch, with his clothing torn open, and a female bystander recording the incident was struck on her buttocks with a machete by one of the plainclothes officers when she resisted surrendering her phone.
In an interview with TheCable, the assaulted woman displayed injuries sustained from the attack, asserting her refusal to surrender her recording device despite facing violence.
Residents, fearing further reprisals, have fled the area, while others detained have been threatened with legal action by the police.
The Nigeria Police Force condemned the officers’ actions, labelling it a breach of conduct for officers to patrol in plain clothes and to utilise commercial vehicles for police operations.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the command spokesperson, promised further details on the incident when contacted for comment.
