The incident was said to have occurred on May 9 along the Oshodi–Apapa Expressway in Lagos, where the deceased was allegedly attacked by the officers.
Court documents in an Affidavit of Facts filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama Judicial Division, and seen on Monday, provided details of the incident. The affidavit was deposed to by the deceased’s brother, Innocent Okpe.
According to the document, Joseph was carrying out his work as a commercial driver when he was stopped by Air Force personnel who were travelling in a Coaster bus with registration number GO 1–14AF.
The officers allegedly claimed he hit their vehicle and demanded the sum of N100,000 as compensation for the damage.
When he was unable to raise the money, the situation reportedly escalated, and the officers allegedly attacked him, repeatedly punching and beating him on the face and head until he nearly lost consciousness.
The assault was said to have stopped only after passersby and other commercial drivers intervened and pleaded with the officers.
The document further stated that those who intervened also offered to contribute N50,000 to settle the issue involving the vehicle.
After the officers left the scene, Joseph was reportedly rushed to several hospitals in search of treatment, but he was allegedly turned away.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter said he was later taken to Charing Cross Clinic in Mushin, Lagos, where he was confirmed dead at about 5pm.
“The incident happened sometime after 3pm. He was taken to several hospitals, but they refused to admit him.
“They got to the last hospital around 5pm, and he was pronounced dead there. He died the same day.
“The incident was immediately reported at the Ilasa Police Division.
“The matter is currently being handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, after it was transferred from the Ilasa division,” the source said.
A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by Dr Okechukwu Ogboo of Charing Cross Clinic, Mushin, dated May 13, 2026, listed “severe head injury” as the primary cause of death, while “pulmonary failure until his death” was stated as the secondary cause.
The deceased is survived by a wife and three children.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, said she would verify the incident and revert with updates, but had not done so at the time of filing this report.
In a related development, cases of alleged assaults involving Air Force personnel and civilians have been previously reported in Lagos, including incidents involving journalists and other members of the public.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, for comment on the incident were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not responded to.