Posted by Chinenye on Wed 04th Nov, 2026 - tori.ng
The Lagos Police have explained why their officers drove against traffic, saying they were rushing to help motorists trapped in a heavy traffic jam. T
(CP Tijani Fatai. Photo Credit: X | LagosPoliceNG)
The Lagos State Police Command says its Rapid Response Squad officers were within the law when a patrol vehicle marked "RRS Attack 07" was seen driving against the flow of traffic in a viral video.
In a statement posted on its official handle on Wednesday, Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai said the patrol was responding to distress calls from motorists stuck in a traffic jam.
The Control Room sent the team to clear the blockage.
He said the patrol, led by an Inspector of Police, was the closest unit available and had to use the opposite lane to reach the scene.
The command said the move was a planned decision to stop the jam from spreading to nearby roads and hurting businesses.
It said the action was taken for public safety and was not a case of ignoring the rules.
Police cited Regulation 158 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which lets officers on emergency duty disregard certain traffic signs, as long as they take due care of other road users.
At the same time, the command condemned the harassment and obstruction the officers faced during the operation.
It said the blocking of the road by individuals in the video was unacceptable and cut off other motorists.
It also warned that obstructing officers on duty is an offence under Section 98 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020.
The command said it welcomes genuine complaints and fair criticism of police conduct, but insisted these should be made responsibly and within the law.