Four policemen, who were alleged to have shot
and injured a security expert identified as Mr Tunde Adeparusi at the
weekend at Airport Tollgate, have been arrested.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Lagos
State, Edgal Imohimi, yesterday, ordered for the arrest of the four
policemen, who were alleged to have shot a man, leaving him with injuries
to his face.
The four policemen have been identified as Inspector
Christian Offor, Inspector Kinsley Umeji, Sergeant David Eguavoen and Sergeant
Paul Ebo. Imohimi was said to have ordered for their immediate arrest
after receiving the complainant.
The incident happened at the tollgate end of
the airport on July 20. Imohimi ordered the Command’s X-Squad Section, to fish
out the policemen involved. It was gathered that the policemen were arrested
after diligent investigation by the X-Squad.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),
CSP Chike Oti in a statement, yesterday, disclosed that the policemen
were under investigation at X-Squad Section and if the allegation
against them was established, they would be marched before the Command's
Provost for orderly room trials.
Oti said: “The Command wishes to assure
members of the public that in line with its tradition of accountability, the
outcome of the trial would be made public as usual. It was reported that the
security expert was badly injured when the bullet fired by a policemen attached
to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (SCIID), Yaba,
strayed and shattered his car window, leading to him sustaining injury to his
face.
The policemen were in a Sport Utility Vehicle
(SUV), chasing some suspects around the Ikeja Airport Tollgate. The chase was
halted when they reached a barrier at the toll gate. They watched as the car,
which was being driven by the fleeing suspects, began to elude them.
Infuriated, the policemen allegedly rammed
their car through the barrier in order to continue pursuing the suspects.
They were confronted by tollgate workers and
an argument ensued. The officers accused the tollgate staff of allowing the suspects to escape. As the argument
snowballed, the policemen allegedly started shooting sporadically.
One of the flying bullets hit the windscreen
of the car of the security expert, who was on his way to the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport.
The bullet shattered his windscreen and glass
shards spattered on his face, injuring him.
It was gathered that when the officers saw
that they had injured someone, they drove off without attending to him. It
was further alleged that some passersby assisted the injured man to hospital,
where he was treated.
Adeparusi later reported the case to
the Bisam Police Station and a CCTV footage showing the face of one of the
policemen was released to the station.
Imohimi said that there was no room in the
command for belligerent policemen, who had refused to key into the professional
ethos of the command. He, therefore, charged policemen in Lagos to be
professional in the discharge of their duties.
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