A
police officer assigned to the Bariga Police Division in Lagos is in
the soup for allegedly killing a youth named Banji Lawunmi.
CRIME
DIGEST gathered that Inspector Smart Osadolor was recently arrested by
his colleagues for shooting Lawunmi during a fight between two rival
groups on Iyeleke Street in the Bariga area.
“Lawunmi
died about three weeks ago. On the day of the incident, two groups of
cultists who routinely go round the Bariga community, harassing building
developers and other businesses for levies, received N250, 000. The
money was paid by a man who had recently started work on his parcel of
land as practised all over Lagos. After collecting the money, a minor
disagreement arose over the sharing of the money. Before we knew it, the
two groups had started fight,” a resident said, on condition of
anonymity.
The
source said some residents sent a distress call to the Bariga police
division where Osadolor was in charge of the anti-robbery department.
In
response to the call, Osadolor was said to have arrived the scene of
the fighting in company with another policeman. But, the two feuding
groups quickly set upon both men.
“Immediately
Osadolor got down from his motorcycle and approached the crowd, they
rushed at him. Frightened, his colleague turned and fled, leaving the
inspector alone to face the unruly youths. In an attempt to disperse the
crowd, Osadolor fired a shot, which unfortunately hit Lawunmi in the
neck. The cultists ran away from the scene.
“Osadolor
then helped Lawunmi onto his bike and was about to take him to the
police station when more cultists arrived. This time, they were able to
drag Osadolor from his motorcycle. Lawunmi was still alive at the time.
The cultists attacked Osadolor with bottles and other sharp objects.
When they tried to take his gun from him, he fired another shot. With
the assistance of a commercial motorcyclist, he was able to escape to a
private hospital nearby for treatment. Osadolor was arrested at the
hospital by the DPO who was informed that one of his men was being
lynched for killing someone,” another resident known as Ola said.
CRIME
DIGEST gathered that while Osadolor was being mobbed, some of the
cultists took Lawunmi away. A few hours later, news filtered into the
community that the youth had died at the Ikeja General Hospital due to
loss of blood.
Angered
by Lawunmi’s death, the youths of the community were said to have
marched to the police station in Bariga with the intention of burning
it.
“If
not for the combined effort of police teams from the Area H command and
Op Messa, the situation would have degenerated to a riot. After he was
arrested at the hospital, Osadolor was later transferred to the State
Criminal Investigation Department, Panti,” Ola said.
The
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent
Ngozi Braide, was not available for comment as she did not reply the
calls and text messages made to her phone.
Punch Nigeria
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