The Lagos State Police Command is taking decisive action against one of its officers, Inspector Obic Modestus, after a viral video surfaced online showing him assaulting an e-hailing driver. The incident, which occurred earlier today, sparked widespread outrage on social media platforms, particularly X, reigniting long-standing debates about police brutality and professionalism in Nigeria.
The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Modestus has been summoned by the Command’s Complaint Response Unit (CRU) and will be handed over to the Provost Department for disciplinary measures.
The video, which spread rapidly across X on Monday morning, captured Inspector Modestus leaning into the driver’s car from the passenger seat, physically assaulting the driver while attempting to coerce him into a police van. Nigerians on X condemned the officer’s actions, with many pointing to a broader pattern of misconduct within the NPF. Comments on the platform echoed frustrations from the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which had spotlighted systemic issues of police brutality, particularly by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Hundeyin, in a statement posted on X at 16:50 WAT on May 19, 2025, emphasised that the Lagos State Command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Olohundare Jimoh, would not condone any form of incivility toward the public.
“The police officer, Inspector Obic Modestus, has been summoned by the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) #LagosPoliceNG. He will be handed over to the Provost Department for appropriate disciplinary measures,” Hundeyin wrote.
The yet-to-be-identified driver reportedly sustained minor injuries and is cooperating with the CRU’s investigation.
The CRU, where the investigation is being handled, has been a cornerstone of efforts to promote accountability within the NPF since its establishment in November 2015. Lagos became the first state to have a dedicated CRU, unveiled on August 23, 2023, by then-acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja. During the unveiling, Egbetokun stressed that the unit was not designed to witch-hunt officers but to ensure transparency and accountability.
“The CRU has an application for e-reporting of crimes, enabling citizens to report crimes from the comfort of their homes or offices,” Egbetokun said.
The event saw support from prominent figures like human rights lawyer Femi Falana and former Nigerian Bar Association president Olumide Akpata, who pledged to assist in establishing similar units nationwide.
The assault on the e-hailing driver highlights ongoing tensions between the police and Nigeria’s e-hailing sector, particularly in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub with a population exceeding 20 million.
Police brutality against ride-hailing drivers currently on the rise
A 2024 report by the Lagos-based Civic Rights Initiative revealed that 65% of e-hailing drivers in Lagos had experienced some form of police harassment in the previous year, with 40% reporting physical assault. Drivers often face extortion or unwarranted stops under the pretext of vehicle documentation checks, a practice that has fuelled resentment among the city’s gig economy workers.
This incident comes amid broader challenges for the Force, which has struggled to rebuild public trust since the #EndSARS protests in October 2020. Those protests, driven by allegations of extrajudicial killings and harassment by SARS, ended tragically when security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, reportedly killing at least 12 people.
Despite the dissolution of SARS and promises of reform, a 2024 Afrobarometer survey found that 62% of Nigerians still view the police as the most corrupt public institution in the country, with only 24% expressing trust in the force.
Commissioner Olohundare Jimoh, who assumed office in late 2024, has made efforts to improve community relations, including hosting town hall meetings with residents and introducing body cameras for officers in select divisions as part of a pilot program launched in January 2025.
However, the Modestus incident threatens to undermine these initiatives, drawing comparisons to a similar case in June 2024, where an officer in Abuja was suspended for slapping a motorist during a traffic stop.
The disciplinary process for Modestus will involve an internal investigation by the Provost Department, which can recommend sanctions ranging from demotion to dismissal, according to Force regulations. In 2024, the Provost Department in Lagos processed 412 cases of officer misconduct, with only 15% resulting in dismissal, per the Lagos State Command’s annual review.
Advocacy groups like the Lagos-based Citizens for Justice have called for the case to be prosecuted in a civilian court, citing a lack of trust in the police’s internal processes, and for the driver to receive compensation.
As the investigation unfolds, the incident has renewed calls for the implementation of the Police Reform Bill, stalled in the Nigerian Senate since 2022, which aims to overhaul the police force’s structure and improve oversight. For now, Nigerians await the outcome of Modestus’ disciplinary hearing, hoping it signals a genuine commitment to addressing police misconduct in a country where such incidents remain all too common.
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