The complainant has since been identified as Muyiwa Akinbola.

According to Akinbola, road safety officers damaged his fingers as they tried to yank his smartphone off of him.

"They seized the car because they said I was using my phone while driving even though I was on hands-free. They even said I didn't use seatbelt when I was on seatbelt. I was asked to pay N4,000 and other charges which I did.

"They injured me here because I was recording with my phone. They forced my phone out of my hand. They've not even released the car even though I've made payment.

"They want to hold my car for one week. I don't know the jurisdiction they have to hold my car for one week..." Akinbola lamented, while brandishing a pair of bloodied and deformed fingers.

In its response, the FRSC said the car was impounded on suspicion that it was stolen, seeing as it had no registration numbers.

"As a public friendly organisation, we consider it expedient to bring to the notice of the general public, the true picture of what transpired during the arrest.

"The investigation revealed that Mr Muyiwa Akinbola was apprehended on Wednesday, 3/02/2021 for Use of Phone While Driving (UPD).

"Upon other checks carried out on the vehicle, it was discovered by the patrol team that the vehicle had no number plates visibly displaced at the appropriate spot on the vehicle.

"With the growing rate of car theft recorded on our roads in recent times, the team pressed on him to ascertain the status of the car.

"When confronted about the vehicle registration, the offender got infuriated and series of arguments ensued; after which he left to the bank to pay his fine thinking that could stop the necessary investigation into the status of the car.

"When he came back to secure the release of the vehicle, he was further interrogated about a Commercial number plate (KTU 116 XY) purportedly belonging to the vehicle, placed on his dashboard to which he offered no explanation.

"The checks carried out by the Command also revealed that the Number Plate belongs to another vehicle entirely which raised the bar for suspicion and gave the officers reasons to doubt the ownership of the vehicle under reference.

"Seeing that he could not provide required proof, the offender left in anger and came back with his friend, wife and baby and impressed on the wife to make the trending video, claiming that his finger was injured by the personnel and threatened to attack the command with mobs," the statement from the corps reads.

The statement adds that a thorough investigation of the incident has been launched by boss of the corps, Boboye Oyeyemi, and that all the officers who were part of the ordeal from the Sango-tedo office of the corps have been recalled for interrogation.

"To ensure effective display of justice, Corps Marshal Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has directed the Lagos State Sector Commander to carry out thorough investigation, with a view to reveal the crux of the matter and forward the outcome of such investigation to the National HQs for necessary actions.

"In the same vein, as an organisation that does not harbour any form of indiscipline, and unprofessional conducts in its operations, the entire team involved in the case have since been recalled to the Lagos State Sector Command for interrogation," the statement concludes.

Founded in 1988, the FRSC is charged with keeping the nation's roads safe by minimizing accidents and inspecting the roadworthiness of vehicles.

Clashes between personnel of the corps and motorists have become the norm for decades. Motorists continue to accuse officers of extortion, indiscipline and the imposition of flimsy charges in a bid to extort.