Why our RRS operatives drove against traffic – Lagos Police explains viral video

By Osho Olatonmiwa

The Lagos State Police Command has defended a Rapid Response Squad (RRS) patrol team captured driving against the normal flow of traffic in a viral video, explaining that the manoeuvre was necessary to respond to distress calls and clear a traffic obstruction.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on November 4, 2026, and signed by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi.

According to the Command, the patrol vehicle, identified as RRS Attack 07, was acting on instructions from the Control Room following distress calls from motorists trapped in the traffic congestion.

The team, led by an Inspector of Police, was reportedly the closest available unit and had to use the opposite lane to reach the source of the obstruction and facilitate the movement of trapped motorists.

To justify the action, the police cited Regulation 158 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which permits officers responding to emergencies or performing civil protection duties to disregard certain traffic signs, provided they exercise due care for other road users.

However, the Command condemned what it described as harassment, confrontation and deliberate obstruction of its operatives during the operation. It also cited Section 98 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, which addresses the obstruction of police officers performing their lawful duties.

While acknowledging citizens’ rights to question police conduct and demand accountability, the Command cautioned against intimidating or deliberately provoking officers, particularly by social media content creators seeking online engagement.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to professional and accountable policing, assuring residents that it would continue to maintain public order, protect lives and property, and ensure the free movement of people across Lagos State.