Police Defend Officers Filmed Driving Against Traffic, Accuse Motorists of Harassment

The Lagos State Police Command says Rapid Response Squad officers drove in the opposite lane after receiving distress calls from motorists trapped in a traffic jam. The team, led by an inspector, was dispatched by the Command’s Control Room as the closest available unit to the obstruction. Police cited Regulation 158 of Nigeria’s 2012 National Road Traffic Regulations, which allows officers responding to emergencies to disregard certain traffic signs while exercising caution, and condemned people who allegedly confronted and blocked them. The command said citizens may question police conduct and demand accountability, but must do so responsibly and within the law.