Two members of the public have lost their lives after police officers opened fire in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Friday in what authorities have described as an accidental shooting that occurred during the pursuit of suspected internet fraudsters.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed that several officers involved in the incident have since been arrested and taken into custody, as the Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, launched an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the officers were engaged in a stop-and-search operation and were reportedly in pursuit of individuals suspected of cybercrime, popularly referred to as “Yahoo boys,” when the fatal shots were discharged. The victims, who were not connected to the pursuit, were struck and fatally wounded in the process.
What has deepened public outrage, however, is not only the shooting itself but the conduct of the officers in its immediate aftermath. An eyewitness account shared on X alleged that the officers, said to be attached to the AIT Division Police Station, fled the scene after the shooting rather than rendering assistance to the wounded victims. The two individuals are reported to have lain unconscious and unattended until they eventually succumbed to their injuries.
Commissioner Jimoh, in response to the incident, directed the adequate deployment of personnel to the area to prevent any breakdown of law and order, as tensions ran high among residents following the tragedy. The spokesperson subsequently confirmed that calm had been restored to the neighbourhood.
Adebisi assured the public that the findings of the investigation would be made available upon conclusion, as authorities moved to address what has become yet another flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about police conduct and the use of force in Lagos State.
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