Police: Man who died in Lagos canal was fleeing from officers

The Lagos police command has clarified that a young man who died in a canal in the Ipaja area of the state was fleeing from officers. 

On Wednesday, viral social media footage showed an elderly man removing the lifeless body of a man from a canal around a federal bus stop in Lagos metropolis.

The narrator in the clip claimed the man was pursued by some gunmen and added that he was robbed of his belongings.

At the time, the police had said the command was yet to receive a report about the incident.

However, in a statement on Friday, Benjamin Hundeyin, police spokesperson of the command, said operatives of the command did not chase the victim or touch him.

Hundeyin said the investigation revealed that the victim, who was a passenger on a motorcycle, jumped off after sighting the police in an attempt to escape arrest.

“The police visited the scene and met eyewitnesses on the ground who voluntarily gave their statements regarding the unfortunate incident,” the statement reads.

“At about 10 am on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, somewhere around Gowon Estate, the young man was a passenger on a motorcycle riding against traffic.

“Immediately they sighted the police approaching their vehicle; the rider made a sharp U-turn while the passenger jumped off the motorcycle, crossed the road, and ran through the nearby tipper garage.

“People in the garage who saw him running towards the canal and at the same time emptying the contents of his pockets agitatedly warned him about a canal ahead. He did not stop but unfortunately jumped into the canal.

“The police officers, startled at his knee-jerk reaction, stopped their vehicle, alighted, and went in the direction of the canal.

“The people around informed the police that the young man jumped into the canal. They all went to look, waited some minutes, and did not see him, upon which the police left, believing he successfully evaded them.

“The police officers did not speak with him, did not touch him, did not chase him, did nothing. The young man simply saw them and bolted. May God give his family the fortitude to bear the sad loss.”