A 43-year-old commercial bus driver, Joseph Okpe, has reportedly died after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of Nigerian Air Force personnel following a disagreement over a minor traffic incident along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos.
According to documents filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama, the incident occurred on May 9 while Okpe was carrying out his duties.
An affidavit deposed to by his brother, Innocent Okpe, stated that the Air Force officers, who were travelling in a Coaster bus with registration number GO 1–14AF, accused the driver of damaging their vehicle and demanded N100,000 as compensation.
The affidavit alleged that when Joseph was unable to produce the money, the officers physically attacked him, repeatedly hitting him in the face and head until he almost lost consciousness.
Witnesses and fellow commercial drivers reportedly intervened and pleaded with the officers to stop the assault. Some bystanders also offered to contribute N50,000 to settle the dispute before the officers eventually left the scene.
After the incident, Joseph was rushed to several hospitals but was allegedly denied treatment. A source familiar with the matter said he was eventually taken to Charing Cross Clinic in Mushin, where he was pronounced dead at about 5 p.m. the same day.
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A medical certificate issued by Dr. Okechukwu Ogboo of Charing Cross Clinic and dated May 13, 2026, listed "severe head injury" as the primary cause of death, while "pulmonary failure" was recorded as the secondary cause.
The matter was initially reported at the Ilasa Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.
Joseph Okpe is survived by his wife and three children.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, said she would verify the incident and provide updates, but no further information had been released as of the time of filing this report.
Efforts to get a response from the Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him were not answered.
The incident has added to previous allegations of misconduct involving Air Force personnel in Lagos. In March 2025, armed officers from the Air Force Base in Ikeja were accused of assaulting a journalist during a visit to the headquarters of Ikeja Electric.
