A 21-year-old driver, Olumide Olushola, has claimed that a faulty brake system caused the death of a police sergeant, Johnson Okediji, during a stop-and-search operation in Egbeda, Lagos.
Olushola, who was paraded at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja on Monday, denied intentionally hitting the officer, insisting that he lost control of the Lexus ES 350 after its brakes allegedly failed.
The incident occurred at about 2.20pm on Saturday, September 26, 2026, on Olugbede Street, Egbeda, when policemen conducting a stop-and-search operation flagged down the Lexus, marked FKJ 223 KX, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani.
The CP said Okediji approached the driver’s side after the vehicle was stopped, but the driver allegedly sped away, causing the sergeant to be knocked down and dragged for several metres before efforts were made to halt the car.
The officer sustained multiple fractures and severe head injuries in the incident.
He was taken to a hospital and later referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
However, while explaining his side of the incident, Olushola said he had attempted to stop when he saw the policemen but discovered that the vehicle was not responding to his efforts to apply the brakes.
He said the car subsequently hit another vehicle before he and his passenger fell over.
The suspect added that he had taken the Lexus to a mechanic a day before the incident and specifically requested that the brake pads be replaced.
According to him, he still noticed that the brakes were slipping after buying fuel on Saturday and intended to return to the mechanic later that day.
Olushola, who said he sells phones, laptops and other gadgets, expressed regret over the officer’s death and maintained that he had no intention of killing him.
The police said the vehicle had been recovered, while the deceased officer’s remains were deposited at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy as investigations continue.