A 37-year-old Uber driver, Gbolahan Fagbenja, has expressed his frustration with the police after being brutally attacked by a mob of motorcycle riders in the Abesan area of Lagos. The attack occurred on Saturday, August 17, after the riders mistakenly identified him as a police informant during a Lagos State Task Force raid on motorcycle parks in the area.
Fagbenja, who was returning from a visit to his brother, was accused by the motorcycle riders of aiding the police during the raid. They surrounded and attacked him with weapons, including iron rods, bottles, and sticks. His pleas for innocence were ignored as the mob beat him until Good Samaritans intervened and rescued him.
Following the attack, Fagbenja sought help from the Ipaja Police Division, but his efforts to seek justice were reportedly turned down. According to Fagbenja, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station dismissed his case, refusing to address any issues related to the police and motorcycles. Fagbenja, already severely injured and seeking justice, was left stranded at the police station after being sent out of the DPO’s office.
Recounting the incident from his hospital bed, Fagbenja explained how he had been attacked after being wrongly identified as a police collaborator by one of the riders. Despite seeking refuge in a building, the mob caught up with him and continued their assault until neighbors were alerted and came to his aid. Though he survived the attack, Fagbenja has yet to receive justice from the authorities.
