Detainee killed after vandalising 16 vehicles at police station

Kunle Olayeni, Abeokuta

Policemen at Sango Police Station, on Monday, were accused of arresting a young man for sporting tattoo and later shooting him to death.

The incident broke out after eyewitnesses, who were allegedly at the scene of the shooting, uploaded videos they recorded.

According to social media, the 26-year-old suspect was arrested for sporting tattoo and later shot for damaging 16 vehicles.

Another version of the story insists that the suspect, a cultist, broke the handcuffs on his wrists and smashed at least 16 out of the vehicles parked at the station with an axe.

It was gathered that the suspect was arrested on Friday on allegation of assaulting a woman.

He was alleged to have vandalized the 16 vehicles parked at the station after escaping from police detention.  He was said to have been shot on the leg and later died.      The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, denied the claim that the victim was shot because of the tattoo on his body.

According to him, the deceased was a cultist, who confessed to his membership of Eiye Confraternity.

Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, disclosed that the suspected cult member went berserk and was shot while attempting to attack officers at the Sango police station with an axe. He explained that the suspect was arrested and taken to the station following an allegation of assault levelled against him.

The PPRO stated that the axe was among the exhibits recovered by the police from some suspected cult members that were previously arrested.

The image maker added: "It is mischievous to say that the suspect was killed because of the tattoo on his body. This was a cult member. He was arrested for a case of assault.

"He assaulted somebody and he was arrested. On getting to the station, he just took up an axe and was pursuing all the policemen. He destroyed 17 vehicles at the station; he broke their windscreens and side screens. All the policemen and suspects at the station had to run for their lives. But when he wanted to harm a policeman that was armed; in the process, that policeman shot him in the leg. Should they have waited till he (suspect) killed everybody? There is a complainant who complained against him. The suspect is a confessed member of Eiye Confraternity. At the station, he suddenly jumped up and drew the axe. He destroyed 17 vehicles; you can confirm from those present at the scene, including civilians."