The Lagos State Police Command has defended operatives of its Rapid Response Squad (RRS) seen driving against the direction of traffic in a viral video, insisting that their action was justified by an emergency assignment.
The Command said the officers, operating in a patrol vehicle identified as RRS Attack 07, were responding to distress calls from motorists trapped in a traffic congestion and had been directed by the Command’s Control Room to clear the obstruction.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the Command explained that the patrol team, led by an Inspector of Police, was the closest available police formation to the location and had to navigate through the opposite lane to reach the source of the traffic obstruction.
It maintained that police vehicles could legally move against the normal direction of traffic under recognised emergency and operational circumstances, including responding to distress calls, pursuing suspects and conducting urgent security operations.
The Command cited Regulation 158 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which permits law enforcement officers driving under emergency situations or engaged in civil protection to disregard prescribed traffic signs, provided they exercise due regard for the safety of other road users.
According to the police, the officers’ action was a deliberate operational decision aimed at restoring traffic flow and preventing the congestion from spreading to adjoining roads, disrupting economic activities and obstructing emergency services.
However, the Command condemned what it described as the harassment, confrontation and deliberate obstruction of the officers while carrying out their assignment.
It also accused the individuals involved of blocking the road and denying other motorists access, describing the conduct as an infringement on the rights of other road users.
The police said such actions could amount to obstruction of officers performing their lawful duties under Section 98 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020.
While acknowledging the right of citizens to demand accountability and criticise police conduct, the Command warned against intimidation, provocation and harassment of officers on legitimate assignments.
It also cautioned social media content creators against deliberately provoking or obstructing police personnel to generate sensational online content or undermine officers’ morale.
The Command warned that anyone found culpable of committing offences in this regard would face the full weight of the law.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, reiterated the Command’s commitment to professional, responsive and accountable policing, assuring residents that it would continue to protect lives and property and ensure the free movement of persons and vehicles across the state.