•Shooting of police officer was accidental discharge, says Amotekun commandant
•Local vigilance group nabs robbery suspect with gun in Delta
Three brothers allegedly beat to death a So-Safe Corps officer attached to OGD Estate, Asero, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Christmas Eve.
It was learn one of the suspects, Okiki, a commercial motorcyclist, was denied entrance into the estate for carrying more than one passenger, contrary to the rule of the estate.
This infuriated him and he called his two brothers, Micheal and Joseph Mulero, who came to the scene and jointly attacked the two security men with planks.
In the process, one of the guards, Segun Godfrey Barde, was hit with a plank and slumped. He was rushed to O&A Hospital where he gave up the ghost on December 25, while receiving treatment.
The case was reported at Obantoko divisional headquarters by the CDA executives of the estate, consequent upon which the DPO, CSP Sunday Opebiyi, detailed his detectives to go after the suspects. They were subsequently apprehended, after which they all confessed to committing the crime.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, had ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence department for further investigation and prosecution. He added that the body of the victim had been deposited in the mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Meanwhile, the Commandant of the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Amotekun Corps in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (rtd), yesterday said the shooting of a police officer by an operative of Amotekun was an accidental discharge.
The Amotekun operative, Ogundele Ibrahim, at the weekend, shot at a constabulary attached to Ojongbodu Police Station in Oyo town, Yekini Fatai.
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the commandant, while explaining, said: “The Amotekun operatives were invited by the police to join hands with them in dismantling a carnival stage which was to be held against earlier warnings to the organisers.”
According to him, officers of the two outfits were able to dismantle the carnival stage without any hindrance. “After this, the gun with Ogundele Ibrahim discharged accidentally and hit the police officer on the thigh. The cause of this was actually yet unknown. Fatai was rushed to the General Hospital in Oyo Town, where he got adequate treatment and has also been discharged.”
The Amotekun commandant alleged that some unscrupulous persons wanted to tarnish the good image of the outfit.
“I want to state categorically that there was no feud of any kind between Ogundele Ibrahim and Yekini Fatai as to warrant each shooting at one another. There had been cases of abduction whereby the agency had recovered the victims, but we have not been praised by the critics.”He disclosed that Ibrahim had been handed over to the police at Iyaganku Police Station for further investigation into the case.
In another development, local vigilantes in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, on Saturday, nabbed one Lucky Chukwuji, an armed robbery suspect with a cut-to-size pistol in their hideout while others escaped.
The suspect was arrested at Agbor-Gha Ihun, Upper Odozi, Osuhor Street, in Agbor town. As soon as Chukwuji was arrested, angry mob set his belongings on fire, warning him not to return to the community.
Chairman of the security group, Comrade Monday, vowed not to condole any form of criminality, saying other members of the gang would be brought to book if they do not leave Agbor. Chukwuji was paraded and handed over to the police in Agbor Divisional headquarters for further investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Onome Onovwakpoyeya, told The Guardian that she was still expecting details as of the time of filing in the report.
