The controversy began on Tuesday when a social media user, Akin Akinwale, known online as #mrlurvy, alleged that the DPO threatened his friend over a minor motor accident.
The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday exonerated the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Olosan Police Station in Mushin, Ayanwale Ayodeji, from viral allegations of power abuse and intimidation, but added it would still go ahead to look into the complaint.
The controversy began on Tuesday when an X (formerly Twitter) user, Akin Akinwale, known online as #mrlurvy, alleged that the DPO threatened his friend over a minor motor accident.
According to Mr Akinwale, his friend's car "brushed" another vehicle belonging to a friend of the DPO, prompting the officer to allegedly use his position to intimidate the motorist.
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Mr Akinwale wrote: "The DPO of Olosan Police Station in Mushin, CSP Ayanwale Ayodeji, is threatening to send my friend to jail...even if the Inspector-General of Police intervenes, he would not listen. This is a blatant abuse of power."
However, the Lagos State Police Command dismissed the allegations as "malicious and misleading," stating that neither the motorist nor his friend had met the DPO before the tweet.
In a recent post on X, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said: "Contrary to the claim, the DPO never threatened to jail the said 'friend' or made any statement.
"The malicious and misleading tweet has unfairly damaged the reputation of the DPO and the Command. It is disappointing that such claims were made without any effort to verify the facts."
The police update further clarified the incident: the motorist's car brushed against a vehicle parked for sale.
The statement said he offered N30,000 for repairs, but the car owner, a lawyer, declined, arguing that such repairs would reduce the vehicle's value.
The police explained that the owner later demanded N500,000 and indicated his intention to pursue the matter in court after both parties failed to reach an agreement.
According to the Police Complaint Response Unit (PoliceCRU), the accident occurred on 19 January (Monday) near Oye Roundabout, inward Ilasa, Mushin. Both parties were brought to the station, and statements were obtained, after which they were advised to try to reach an amicable resolution.
Ms Adebisi confirmed that the Command is "currently looking into" the complaint, stressing that Mr Ayodeji, who is a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) had intervened to see if an alternative resolution could be reached.
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