Tragedy struck along the Lagos–Ogun boundary on Old Ota Road on Friday after two motorcycle passengers were fatally hit by a stray bullet allegedly discharged by a police officer during a stop-and-search operation.
An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said the incident occurred around 5 p.m. when operatives mounted a checkpoint in the area.
According to the source, officers had attempted to stop a vehicle that allegedly defied their order, prompting one of the policemen to open fire.
The bullet, however, reportedly missed the fleeing vehicle and struck two persons riding on a commercial motorcycle nearby.
“I witnessed the incident from a distance as it happened directly opposite my residence. The officers were conducting a stop-and-search when a vehicle refused to stop. One of them fired a shot, but it ended up hitting two people on a motorcycle.
The atmosphere immediately became charged, and it took the intervention of some soldiers and a traditional ruler to calm the situation,” the eyewitness said.
Residents of the community were said to have been thrown into panic following the shooting, amid fears of a possible backlash.
One of the deceased was reportedly a civil servant.
“Since Friday, there has been palpable tension in the area. People are moving about cautiously because of what happened,” the source added.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that the officers allegedly involved in the shooting had been taken into custody.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, had directed a comprehensive investigation into the incident and ordered the deployment of additional personnel to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
“The officers involved in the unfortunate shooting incident in Alagbado have been arrested. The Commissioner of Police has ordered a thorough and intensive investigation.
“Adequate security presence has also been ensured in the area. Normalcy has since been restored, and the outcome of the investigation will be made public,” she stated.
The incident has ignited reactions on social media, with several users recounting alleged cases of harassment and extortion by security operatives across Lagos.
An X user, @Debbybold, alleged that she was once delayed for over 40 minutes at the same axis while taking her daughter to a clinic after she declined to give money to officers.
Another user, Ralph Juava, called on authorities to rein in erring personnel, warning that public frustration over alleged misconduct was growing.
Similarly, @Dekunle lamented what he described as the recurring use of the police uniform as a tool for intimidation, questioning when alleged extortion and brutality would come to an end.