Christopher Oji, with agency report
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained five police officers who allegedly shot dead a 20-year-old woman, Ada Ifeanyi, in Ajegunle, on Saturday.
The Command’s spokesman, Bala Elkana, said in a statement, yesterday, that the incident happened at No. 4b, Amusa Lane, off Ojo Road, Ajegunle.
The policemen also allegedly shot one Emmanuel Akomafuwa, 32, of No. 52, Babatunde Street, Olodi Apapa, at Akpiri Street, in Olodi Apapa.
Said Elkana: “The victims were rushed to hospital and Ada Ifeanyi was confirmed dead, while Emmanuel Akomafuwa is currently on admission, receiving treatment from the injury he sustained as a result of the shooting.
“The team suspected to be involved in the shooting are from Trinity Police Station and are currently facing internal disciplinary proceedings at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja. Their rifles have been retrieved for forensic analysis by ballisticians.
“The policemen arrested are: Insp. Adamu Usman, Sgts. Adeyeye Adeoye, Kashim Tijani, Lucky Akigbe and Paul Adeoye, while Insp. Dania Ojo, who escaped immediately after the shooting incident is declared wanted by the Command.
“Lagos State Police Command condemns in total these senseless killings of unarmed civilians by few ‘bad eggs ‘ in the command, who are bent towards denting the image and reputation of the nation’s police force. The Command will not relent in its efforts in ridding the force of these criminal elements.
“Those involved in extrajudicial killings and abuse of power are promptly identified, isolated, tried through internal disciplinary proceedings, dismissed from service and prosecuted in conventional courts,” he said.
He added that the Command had, in the last one month, dismissed four policemen for abuse of power and conducts unbecoming of a police officer. It also awarded various degrees of punishments to 41 others.
“The Commissioner of Police calls for calm as the Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice prevails,” he added.
Meanwhile, police have killed nine suspected members of a notorious armed robbery gang at Akilbu forest, off Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
A statement by the Force Spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba, in Abuja, yesterday, said this followed an exchange of gunfire between police and the gang; on April 10.
Mba said items recovered from the robbers were six Ak-47 rifles;one pump action gun; 1,206 rounds of Ak-47 ammunition; seven magazines; 28 cartridges and 158 expended shells.
He said the items were recovered from them by police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder deployed to the area.
Mba said one policeman sustained gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment in hospital.
He said efforts are being intensified to arrest two members of the gang who escaped with gunshot wounds.
The spokesman also disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has expressed satisfaction with the successes recorded so far in the fight against kidnapping and other heinous crimes across the country.
Adamu, who called for public support for the police and other sister security agencies, assured that the war against bandits would soon be won.
The inspector-general had, on April 5, inaugurated Operation Puff Adder to fight insecurity along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.