"This is police brutality. This is a misuse of power. More than 15 men with guns attacked me and my underage daughter".
The Lagos State Police Command has responded to allegations made by actress Laide Bakare regarding a traffic incident.
She accused the police of "brutality" and "misuse of power" after her car was stopped for allegedly driving in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane, an accusation she vehemently denied.
The actress expressed outrage about the drama as she described what occurred on the Ikorodu expressway.
According to the police, her crime was a BRT lane violation.
The BRT lane is reserved for mass transit buses to ensure smooth and rapid transportation. Unauthorised use of this lane disrupts traffic flow and undermines the effectiveness of the BRT system. To deter such violations, authorities typically impose penalties or fines on drivers who misuse these lanes.
In a video of the occurrence, Bakare can be seen yelling, "When everybody is passing this same way, why? Everybody is on the same road. What are you doing in my car?"
The actress maintained that she never tilted towards any BRT lane.
"I had a minor in my car, and I was being careful. You people were purposely looking for big vehicles," she alleged.
Bakare described the incident as a "terrible experience," emphasising the "brutal treatment" she faced while driving with her 14-year-old daughter.
The actress recounted, "They targeted big cars and vulnerable people to exploit and rob. This is my lane, following the traffic flow in the heavy rain."
Contravened laws
Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson, clarifying, said the incident occurred when Bakare's vehicle was intercepted at Owode Elede, Ikorodu, for violating traffic regulations.
Mr Hundeyin explained in a tweet, "You were stopped for contravening traffic laws by driving on the BRT lane."
He detailed how she refused to comply with the officers' instructions after her vehicle was stopped, creating a scene.
"You chose to remain out of your vehicle when it was taken to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA office). The officers were not going to succumb to your gimmick to hold them down at that spot," Mr Hundeyin justified.
In a defence, he maintained that the police followed standard procedures in enforcing traffic regulations.
Daughter's ordeal
The actress, who was distressed over the incident, questioned how a police officer could enter someone else's car and drive away with a minor.
The actress recalled that the confrontation took a disturbing turn when a police officer entered her car and began driving her daughter to an "unknown destination."
Her daughter, sharing her perspective on the incident, said, "Yesterday, my mom and I were going to a party, and on our way, the police stopped us for a reason I don't know. The police were yelling, and someone was recording my mom.
"My mom said, 'I am going to record you too because why are you recording me?' Someone immediately got into the car and just drove me away. I was so scared because I didn't know who he was. Even though he was a police officer, he drove away with me inside without telling my mom."
The young girl continued, "When my mom was talking with the police officer, I was scared and asked him to please stop the car, saying that I didn't know him and didn't know where I was going. He ignored me. We got to a place that looked like a police station, but I didn't know where it was.
"My mom's phone was in the car, and I couldn't contact her. She had to borrow someone's phone to call me. I was sitting there for hours. I was tired; it was terrible. When I asked the police officer where we were," he ignored me."
Already infuriated, the actress criticised the system, stating, "In a sane country, no officer or agent would ever drive a 14-year-old girl who is confused about where she is being taken. A lot of things are happening in this country that need to be attended to," Bakare fumed.
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According to Bakare, the officers stopped her car and dragged her out into the rain, adding that despite her pleas and assertions that she had done nothing wrong, they were unrelenting.
"I am not a lawbreaker; I have never broken any law, done nothing wrong, and have evidence. If Nigerians cannot help, I'd take this to an international level. This is police brutality. This is a misuse of power. More than 15 men with guns attacked me and my underage daughter," she lamented.
Legal bounds
The police spokesperson's tweet response included an attached receipt showing the payment of the actress's fine, the car model (a White Toyota Highlander), the offence, and the time committed.
Addressing Bakare's claims of "brutality and misconduct", the police spokesperson stated, "You rightly paid the correct fine for your offence - N70,000 - into government coffers. You left with the receipt and your vehicle. Not a finger was laid on you."
The spokesperson said that the actions taken were within the legal bounds and were necessary to enforce traffic laws.
