20-Year-Old Phone Seller Narrates How He Allegedly Crushed Police Sergeant to Death in Lagos

A 20-year-old phone seller, identified as Olusola Olumide, has narrated his account of the incident in which police Sergeant Johnson Okediji was knocked down and fatally injured during a stop-and-search operation in Lagos State.

The incident occurred on September 26, 2026, along Olugbede Street in the Egbeda area of Lagos, where police officers were conducting a stop-and-search operation.

According to the Lagos State Police Command, officers signalled the driver of a Lexus ES 350, with registration number FKJ 223 KX, to stop.

Police said the driver initially complied with the instruction but allegedly sped away as Sergeant Okediji approached the driver’s side of the vehicle.

20-Year-Old Phone Seller Gives His Account

The 20-year-old phone seller reportedly told journalists that the vehicle’s brake failed at the critical moment.

Olumide claimed that he had lost control of the vehicle and could not stop it as the officer was near the driver’s side.

He reportedly said the brake did not respond when he attempted to stop, while explaining that the officer was hit and dragged underneath the vehicle.

The police, however, gave a different account of the incident, saying the driver initially stopped before suddenly accelerating as Sergeant Okediji approached the vehicle.

The conflicting accounts are expected to form part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.

Police Sergeant Dragged Under Vehicle

According to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Tijani Fatai, the officer was knocked down and dragged underneath the vehicle for several metres.

Police officers and passers-by reportedly attempted to get the driver to stop, but the vehicle continued moving before the driver was eventually chased and arrested.

Sergeant Okediji sustained multiple fractures and serious head injuries during the incident.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention and subsequently referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

However, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

His remains were deposited at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary, where they are being preserved pending an autopsy, according to the police. The vehicle involved in the incident was also recovered to a police station.

Arrest Follows Fatal Stop-and-Search Incident

The 20-year-old phone seller was reportedly pursued and arrested by police after the incident.

Other reports identified the suspect as Olumide Olusola, while some accounts have described him as 21 years old. The Guardian report and several contemporaneous reports describe him as a 20-year-old phone seller, while the Lagos Police briefing reported by other outlets identified him as 21.

The age discrepancy has therefore been retained rather than resolved without an authoritative clarification.

The case remains under investigation, and no court determination has established criminal liability against the suspect.

Lagos Police Report Other September Operations

The incident was disclosed during the Lagos State Police Command’s briefing on its operational activities for September.

The command said it had arrested 32 suspects during the month in connection with cases including alleged armed robbery, cultism, unlawful possession of firearms and other offences.

Police also reported the recovery of 43 vehicles, five pump-action guns, five locally made pistols, 20 live rounds or cartridges and 15 expended ammunition.

Other recovered items included two cutlasses, ₦2.5 million in cash, suspected criminal charms, a television set, a radiator, a car jack, vehicle spare parts and two vehicle keys.

The command also reported an enforcement operation targeting vehicles with covered number plates and unregistered vehicles, during which more than 41 vehicles were impounded.

Investigation Continues

The death of Sergeant Okediji has placed renewed attention on the risks faced by police officers during roadside enforcement and stop-and-search operations.

For investigators, establishing exactly what happened between the moment the vehicle was flagged down and the officer’s fatal injuries will be central to the case.

The police account says the vehicle accelerated as the sergeant approached, while the suspect’s reported account attributes the incident to brake failure. The recovery of the vehicle and the planned autopsy may provide investigators with additional evidence as the case progresses.

The suspect remains subject to the ongoing investigation, and any eventual criminal responsibility will be determined through due process.