Policeman Kills Colleague, Injures Okada’ Ride While Dispersing Crowd In Lagos
LAGOS NOVEMBER 25TH (NEWSRANGERS)-A police officer attached to the Igando Police Division has reportedly shot his colleague dead while dispersing crowd along LASU-Igando road.
According to Punch, the killer cop shot into the air to disperse the crowd, killing his colleague and injuring a ride-hailing motorcyclist in the process.
It was gathered that the police officer and the deceased were members of the police team that was mobilised to a section of the road on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to arrest motorcyclists plying prohibited routes and riding against traffic.
Trouble started when the team arrested a commercial motorcyclist for allegedly breaking traffic rule, but the rider resisted arrest and struggled with the policemen who wanted to seize his bike, Punch reports.
Consequently, a crowd who, believed the policemen were trying to extort the rider gathered and started hurling objects at them.
A witness, Kunle Gbadamosi, who spoke to Punch about the incident killed his colleague when he cocked his gun and shot into the air to disperse the crowd.
“He said, “I was on a bus en route to Igando from Iyana-Iba when I chanced on the incident. It caused traffic and I decided to alight from the bus. I saw a policeman lying lifeless on the floor. There was confusion everywhere.
“I learnt that some policemen were trying to arrest motorcyclists riding against the traffic and on prohibited routes. One of the motorcyclists they were trying to arrest resisted and his co-riders rallied round him because they felt the policemen wanted to extort him.
“One mobile policeman, who was trying to assist the policemen to get out of the situation, cocked and fired into the air to disperse the crowd. He shot and killed a policeman in the process.”
A police source privy to the incident told the newspaper that the rider refused let the officers seize his motorcycle because he thought he might not get it back.
“Usually, when such a motorcycle is seized, it will be taken to the task force office and the owner won’t be able to get it again. So the motorcyclist fought to retain his bike and he got support from a crowd.
“While he was struggling with the policemen, the crowd started pelting them with objects. The mobile policeman fired a gunshot to chase them away but unfortunately, the bullet hit his colleague and another motorcyclist driving against traffic. The policeman died on the spot but the rider was rushed to a hospital. He was injured in the leg.”
Police have, however, launched a manhunt for the motorcyclist who fought with the police team.
Reacting to the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, said, “Our policemen on enforcement on the ban of okada on some prohibited routes in Lagos arrested two motorcyclists — an O’Pay rider and an okada rider, who is an OPC (Oodua Peoples Congress) member. He (the OPC member) was dragging with the team and mobilised people to attack them.
“While that was going on, the team and a mobile policeman with them were under serious threat. One of those people pushed the mobile policeman and he cocked his rifle. Unfortunately, he killed his colleague and injured a motorcyclist. We have commenced investigation into the matter.”
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Posted by News Rangers
on Nov 25 2019. Filed under National.
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