Policemen, not hired killers, killed my friend’

Tochukwu Ofogeli, a friend of Santos (Nwabueze) Korie, who was allegedly killed by policemen around Daleko Bridge, Lagos, has said his friend was killed by policemen and not hired killers.

PUNCH Metro had reported on April 12, 2013, that Korie was killed in his vehicle after being accosted by policemen for driving against traffic.

The police had said the perpetrators were probably hired killers in police uniform.

However, Ofogeli, who was in the vehicle when the incident occurred, said the killers were policemen with name tags.

He said, “We were coming from Mile 2 area but on getting to Iyana-Isolo, we saw a roadblock as the road was under construction. A newspaper vendor advised us to drive against traffic and then make a U-turn and ascend the bridge.

“As we approached the bridge, two policemen accosted us and cocked their guns. Korie tried to park properly when one of the policemen opened fire and killed him on the spot.

“After he was shot, the vehicle rammed into an oncoming truck laden with sachet water.”

Asked if he could recognise the killer policemen, he said, “One of the policemen wore the usual black shirt and black pair of trousers while the other one wore a black shirt and khaki trousers.

“I saw their name tags from afar but did not put it to memory because I did not know they would kill my friend and they fled immediately after killing him. I am however sure without doubt that they were policemen and not hired killers.”

Ofogeli said ever since the incident occurred, he had not been feeling too well because he witnessed the murder.

He said, “Korie was a good friend and we were just chatting when policemen killed him even though he never said a word. The blood splashed all over the car and it happened in my presence. As I speak to you, I am still in shock because I had no idea that such a thing would happen that day.”

Reacting to the incident, a civil society organisation, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, said police extra-judicial killings seem to have risen in recent times.

The Programme coordinator, Okey Nwaguma, said it was however difficult to prove this as there was little data documentation on police killing.

He said one of the reasons why the killings continued was because perpetrators were hardly brought to book.

He said, “One of the factors causing the increase in police extra-judicial killing is the fact that perpetrators are hardly brought to book. Also, families of victims are sometimes intimidated by the police while some others are just too afraid to speak.

“Police deliberately mess up investigation by encouraging families of victims to hurriedly bury them. Sometimes, the police might even claim that killers are impostors in police uniform and refuse to investigate.”

PUNCH