Fresh facts have emerged on how the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of
Ibereko Police Station, Badagry was brutally killed by gunmen believed to be
soldiers.
An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who was with the DPO
and the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Taofeek Afolabi has told how the two
officers were slain.
The man who is recuperating from a gunshot wound he
suffered during the attack told detectives that the DPO, Mr. Samuel Salihu was
not shot but was stabbed to death by the soldiers.
He said on the fateful
day, the DPO had called him on phone that he and the DCO, Mr. Samson Okedusi
should accompany him to the barracks. He said he was not surprised as he had
earlier accompanied him to see the Commanding Officer of the
Barracks.
According to Afolabi, there was allegation that some policemen
attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) had shot dead a soldier on Sunday.
He said the police had already handed over the suspected trigger happy
policemen to the Army. According to him, because they were on their way for a
peace treaty and on the invitation of the Commanding Officer, the DPO asked the
DCO to take them in his Montero Sport Utility Vehicle. Afolabi said a stone
throw to the Barracks, they met some soldiers who were beating up some policemen
attached to a bank in the area.
According to him, the DPO put through a
call to the Commanding Officer, who asked him to drive down to his command so
that the two of them could appease the rampaging soldiers. He said as they were
driving down to the barracks, they saw a police escort car being burnt by some
soldiers and a police Inspector being manhandled by the soldiers.“Sensing that
it may not be safe for them to enter the barracks, the DPO ordered the DCO to
make a U-turn.”
He said as the DCO was making a U-turn, some soldiers
started chasing them, adding that a gunshot was heard, and the bullet hit the
DCO. “So, our vehicle fell inside a ditch. Sensing danger, the DPO opened the
door and took to his heels. I also took to my heels but a bullet hit me. While I
was on the ground, I saw the soldiers stabbing the DPO. They were saying they
should torture him to death. He was stabbed severally before he died.”
A
senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said even after
killing the DPO, DCO and an Inspector, the soldiers cordoned off the area and
did not allow the police to carry their corpses.“We removed the corpse around
12.30 pm; when we got to Badagry General Hospital, the staff rejected the
corpses saying that they were afraid of soldiers. We later succeeded in
depositing the corpses at the Ikeja General Hospital.” The officer said: “I am
shocked that the Army High command is denying that the dastardly act was
committed by their boys. Inspector Moses who was returning from night duty was
beaten black and blue near the barracks. The soldiers also set ablaze an escort
car belonging to the police.
“The Commanding Officer spoke with the DPO
who told him how his boys were manhandling policemen. How can they exonerate
their men?” he queried. Meanwhile, some rank and file of the police have vowed
to go on strike should the government and the Police high command fail to bring
the culprits to book. The rank and file also blamed the State Commissioner of
Police (CP), Mr. Yakubu Alkali, who they alleged, had kept mum since the
incident occurred.
One Anene (other names withheld) said the DPO had even
put in for casual leave two weeks ago but the CP denied him the opportunity. “If
he had gone on leave, he would not have been killed.” Anene further stated that
preliminary investigation had shown that the soldiers were angered when they
heard the comment of the CP who said, “the soldier that was shot dead by the
police on Sunday was a smuggler. The comment triggered off the brutal killings
of our men.”
Unconfirmed report said the Commanding Officer, Colonel
Nasaba has been arrested by the Military Police and handed over to the Army High
Command for interrogation after the Tuesday’s killings.
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Source : sunnewsonline.com
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