A commercial truck driver, Peter Francis, is fighting to save his leg after he was allegedly shot by a police officer during a checkpoint operation along the Ketu–Epe–Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.
The Punch reported that Francis was said to be returning home from work on June 12, 2026, when officers attached to the Ketu-Ereyun Divisional Police Station stopped his vehicle.
His lawyer, Olatunji Ajayi, told The Punch on Saturday that his client complied when officers asked him to turn on his vehicle’s interior light.
He added that an officer identified as Ibrahim allegedly demanded a ₦500 bribe, but Francis explained that he had already spent his remaining cash on food kept on the back seat of his Toyota Corolla.
“Without any provocation, a police officer identified as Ibrahim, who was part of the team, opened fire on the vehicle occupied by Mr. Peter Francis and his friend. One of the bullets struck Mr. Peter Francis in the leg, causing severe injuries and leaving him in excruciating pain,” the lawyer said.
According to him, the officers fled immediately after realising Francis had been hit, leaving the injured driver without assistance.
The gunshot reportedly attracted soldiers attached to the Lagos State Food and Logistics Hub, who intervened at the scene.
The lawyer said the military personnel “pursued the fleeing officers to their nearby police station, brought them back to the scene and directed them to take the victim to the hospital.”
Francis was reportedly rejected by two hospitals before eventually being admitted to the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba, where he underwent emergency surgery.
Police spokesperson reacts
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the shooting when contacted, but said the official account differs from the version presented by the victim and his lawyer.
“The officers involved have been detained for further questioning,” she said.
She, however, said she could not immediately confirm a reported meeting between the victim’s lawyer and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, or details of a petition, adding, “I cannot confirm that now but will do on Monday.”
DPO gives account
The Divisional Police Officer of the Ketu-Ereyun Division, CSP Kalu Chijioke, gave a different version of events, insisting the victim was a criminal suspect.
“On June 12 at about 21.10hrs, our officers were on a stop and search duty opened because of a government school close by. We are on the Lagos-Ogun border.
“This driver came in with a Camry (Muscle) with a female passenger in the driver seat. And according to the account of the senior officer who led the team, ASP Oguniyi said the vehicle was stopped and he complied.
“When he was approached, he sped off knocking down Oguniyi, brushing another and was rushing towards Corporal Tijani Ibrahim to ram him down, using the vehicle as a weapon, before the latter shot,” the DPO stated.
He explained that Corporal Ibrahim fired at the moving vehicle and the bullet struck Francis on the lower part of his knee.
“This is a case of attempted murder and assault of a police officer in his line of duty and unlawful possession of substances suspected to be illicit drugs,” the DPO in his account hinted.
The police boss also denied claims that officers abandoned the victim, insisting they tried to secure medical care immediately.
According to him, officers were also confronted at the station by a group of the victim’s associates.
“That was when the soldiers accosted them to ask if our officers needed help—which was politely rejected—noting that the situation was immediately contained and that medical attention was provided to the victim,” he said.
He added that Francis was taken to two hospitals that refused admission before he was eventually accepted at the military hospital, where surgery was performed.
The DPO further claimed he personally assisted in stabilising the situation.
“The records are there. He was referred from the first hospital to another, which refused to admit him. The victim’s life was the priority, and that was when I contacted the military hospital where he was eventually operated on. In fact, when we were unable to get an ambulance, we used our patrol vehicle.
“It was the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Yaba, that admitted him, and he underwent surgery there. After the necessary tests, I donated blood and even made payment so his treatment could continue.
“All efforts to obtain personal statements from the lady and the victim after treatment have been futile as we speak.
“We’ve also spoken to the lawyer who came here and told him to give his client a statement form to fill out now that the incident is still fresh in his memory and he has received medical attention, but he refused.
“Our concern is that he gets better. Only then can we take the case to trial,” he said.
When asked about intelligence behind the operation and claims regarding a request for the victim to write a statement from the hospital, he responded, “That is not true. I facilitated his eventual admission to that hospital, donated blood, and much more.
“I have details of a N400,000 transfer made to the victim for his treatment. I also have records of the N100,000 I gave an officer to coordinate his movement from one hospital to another in an effort to save his life. From our own side, we will continue to monitor his treatment. Our focus is for him to get better.”
He concluded, “So far, we have complied with international best practices by prioritising the victim’s life. That is our focus for now. More details about the incident cannot be revealed as further investigation is ongoing.”
Medical costs and legal demand
Francis’ lawyer maintained that his client was a law-abiding citizen on duty at the time of the incident.
“Mr. Peter Francis is not a criminal suspect,” he said.
He added that the shooting had left Francis unable to use the affected leg, with doctors recommending reconstructive plastic surgery.
According to him, “₦1,126,600 in outstanding medical bills already incurred at the military hospital and ₦10 million estimated for corrective plastic surgery.”
“The total medical cost is estimated at more than ₦11.1 million,” the lawyer said.
Lawyer alleges police support payment
The lawyer also disclosed that the Divisional Police Officer of the Ketu-Ereyun Division visited Francis in hospital, donated blood, and transferred funds to him.
“The Divisional Police Officer… donated blood to Mr. Peter Francis and personally transferred the sum of ₦400,000 into his personal bank account. This conduct further suggests an acknowledgment of responsibility for the incident,” he stated.
However, he insisted the gesture does not remove responsibility from the Nigeria Police Force.
He urged authorities of the Nigeria Police Force to assume full responsibility for treatment, rehabilitation, and compensation.
“In the circumstances, we respectfully call on the Nigeria Police Force to take full responsibility for the treatment, rehabilitation and all medical expenses incurred by Mr. Peter Francis as a result of the reckless and unlawful shooting of an unarmed and innocent civilian by one of its officers.
“Justice must be done, and adequate compensation must be provided to Mr. Peter Francis for the physical, emotional and financial trauma he has suffered,” the lawyer added.
