A police officer, Inspector Collins Iruedo, is currently a social media sensation after he helped out a stranded motorist who suffered a burst tyre at night in Lagos.
The motorist, Uzo Anazodo, took to Twitter on Wednesday to shower praises on the Good Samaritan officer, who went out of his way to assist him to get out of a hopeless situation.
He wrote, “I was midway through the Marina overhead bridge when I noticed my tyres wobbling badly. I had a torn tyre. Managed to descend the Apongbon bridge and right there parked was a Police vehicle. They approached me asking I move the vehicle as it was obstructing traffic flow. 12:30 AM.
“A policeman approached me again, offered his apologies and asked if I had a spare. I opened the boot and brought it out. At that point, he took over from me the entire process of jacking and replacing the tyre. By then it was already 1 am.
“As he released the jack, the entire weight of the front side deflated the spare tyre. It hadn’t been used once. I now was faced with a torn, and deflated tyre. Panic started to set in. What do I do? Who would come to my aid that late at night?
“Sensing my mood, the policeman calmed me down. He said I should wait while he went looking for a vulcaniser. Ten minutes later he showed up. Turns out there was one who owned a shop right beside where they periodically station their vehicle. He had to go look for him.
“Five minutes later, I was set to go. The policeman reassured me that protection was their primary duty. Not a demand made. I asked for his number and name. He refused to have his picture taken. Just wished me well. His name is Collins Iruedo. An officer and a gentleman.
“Every day, I read about rogue officers. It’s easy to get jaded and disparage the entire corps as demons. Not true. There are fine officers in the @PoliceNG. We just need to highlight those ones more often.”
Anazodo added that he was cash-strapped at the time of the incident and could not access an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) that late but Iruedo paid the vulcaniser from his own pocket.
The Herald learnt that Iruedo was one of 12 policemen attached to the Ebute-Ero Police Station who were macheted or shot during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020.
Meanwhile, many Nigerians praised Iruedo for his act of service, as more than 3,000 people liked the tweet.
Edward Onoriode wrote, “This is commendable and I’m proud to read this.”
Tagging the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Onoriode added, “This officer should be given a commendation just as rogue officers are punished.”
@CRADLENETWORKS wrote, “We should do the little we can to appreciate guys like Collins. Being humane despite Nigeria working conditions speaks volume of his character. God bless him.”