Families of killed policemen angry with authourity

Many Nigerians may have forgotten about the three policemen who were allegedly gunned down by some soldiers at the Badagry area of Lagos State in 2011, but  their family members are yet to forget.
May 25, 2013, marked the second year the three police officers were killed by the soldiers, suspected to be attached to the 243 Recce Battalion Barracks, Ibereko, Badagry, in Lagos State.
The slain policemen are; Divisional Police Officer(DPO), Badagry Police Station, Mr. Samuel Salisu,  Divisional Crime Officer(DCO), Mr. Samson Okedusi  and Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP), Mr. Taofeek Afolabi.
The deceased were on a peace mission to the army barracks, allegedly on the invitation of the commandant of the barracks, identified as Colonel Nabasa, to settle a rift between the police and the army over the killing of a staff sergeant when they were mowed down.
The staff  sergeant was allegedly killed by anti-riot policeman, attached to the  Lagos State security outfit, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), during a scuffle at a check-point in Badagry on May, 23, 2011.
It was gathered that soldiers in camouflage uniform ambushed, shot and killed the unsuspecting policemen on what many felt was a reprisal attack.
The DPO’s head was smashed with stones and he died on the spot, while the DCO was stoned and shot several times before he gave up the ghost. But the ASP on the other hand, sustained gunshot wounds and later died in a hospital.
The soldiers were said to have left the DPO and DCO corpses by the road side, under scorching sun for hours and warned people not to move the bodies.
The soldiers eventually allowed the corpses to be moved only after they got an order from an unnamed superior officer.
Families of the slain officers are presently angry with the police authourity for sweeping the murders under the carpet, since the killers of the men are yet to be arrested and brought to book.
Mrs. Temitayo Okedusi, wife of the DCO, said that the police and the government who made promises of fishing out her husband’s killers had abandoned her family and also failed in their promises of fishing out the killers.
“It has not been easy at all,” she said. “Financially and personally, it had not been easy! There is no helper, nobody! The people who promised to do this and that, are nowhere to be seen anymore! The little business I do is what we have been using to feed. We have not been able to access my husband’s gratuity because of the 10 percent commission the Probate Court is asking for.
“They asked us to bring letter of Administration from the Probate Court, so the court told us to go and calculate his entire money in the bank and pay 10 percent of the money to the Probate Court but we do not have the money to pay the court. This is delaying us from getting his gratuity and other entitlements.
“The commission the Probate Court is asking for and the legal fee will cost us N330, 000 and I don’t have such an amount of money. The family is in a tight corner as the   bank needs this letter of administration before the money in his account can be released. We are suffering, not being able to access this money.”
Mrs. Okedusi fumed that she felt abandoned and cheated since her husband’s killers are still walking free.
She railed: “I feel so sad because the serving policemen are not helping the wives of the dead officers. They do not assist widows of their dead colleagues. My husband   died on active duty trying to settle a rift between the police and the army. If the government is assisting the wives of soldiers killed by Boko Haram, and militants, they should also compensate families of policemen killed in such gruesome manner.
“The government has set a day aside for remembering fallen soldiers, but there is no recognition for policemen killed, fighting to protect this country. This is not fair! The government should also set a day aside to remember fallen policemen.
“In my husband’s case, I will continue to demand for justice. I want the government to find my husband’s killers and bring them to book.  The family wants justice and if I have money, I would have taken the government, the police and army to court for sweeping the death of my husband under the carpet!”
It was gathered that the late DPO, Samuel Salisu, served the police for more than 20 years, while the DCO, Samson Okedusi was killed five months to his retirement from the Nigeria Police Force.
Chief Executive officer of CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, while paying tribute to the slain officers during the one year remembrance said: “It’s unfortunate that the police officers were murdered as the Badagry Police Station under their leadership won an Altus award last year. We were told when they were killed by the soldiers that the police and the military will set up a panel to investigate that heinous crime. As we speak to you today, neither the report of that panel had been made.”
It will be recalled that Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, assured the family in his condolence letter to the family that the government would fish out the killers and bring them to face the full wrath of the law.
The letter,   delivered to the Okedusi family by the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Council Manager, Mr. Olaleye read in part: “I write to offer the deepest and most heartfelt condolences of myself, my family, the government and people of Lagos State over the tragic loss of your husband and father, Superintendent of Police Samson Okedusi while on official service to his nation. I am indeed short of words at the circumstances that led to his painful loss.
“I have been assured by the relevant authourities that those responsible for the dastardly act shall be identified and made to face the full wrath of the law and I undertake to see that this is done. Your husband and father was a diligent, honest, fearless and gallant man who committed his whole life to the service of humanity and our hearts and thoughts are with you at this difficult time.”
The family, in a speech delivered by the deceased’s younger brother, Dr.  Michael Okedusi, during the lying in state ceremony, called on the then Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, to set up an independent panel of inquiry to probe the gruesome murder of the officers.
“We will not succumb to threat, intimidation and compromise or any other alternative than justice. We are once again calling on all human right groups, both local and international, to come to our aid and ensure that the soldiers involved in this heinous crime are brought to book, likewise the police officer that fired the first shot should be prosecuted!”