Outcry as police arrest five officers for killing woman

There were outcries on the social media yesterday over the killing of a 20-year-old woman by policemen at Ajegunle in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos.

Ada Ifeanyi was shot dead at 4b, Amusa Lane, off Ojo Road, Ajegunle on Saturday morning.

The policemen also shot 32-year-old Emmanuel Akomafuwa, of 52, Babatunde Street, Olodi Apapa, at Akpiri Street, Olodi Apapa.

Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained five police officers involved in the act.

As the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), releases the photograph of the officers, many took to the social media to demand justice for the slain woman.

The officers, they said, should be tried as quickly as possible and be made to face a similar fate.

This, some said, would deter others.

Donatus Igwe tweeted that the killing of innocent people by policemen is one too many.

“We cannot continue like this. We deserve a better policing than what we are getting. There is need for psychological tests on our officers before we hand over guns to them,” he said.

May Ubeku @maybeks wrote that for every Nigerian killed by the police, they are pushing Nigerians to the wall.

“They (the police) make us feel helpless and hunted. This may backfire someday and the hunter would be hunted, irrespective of the guns they carry. #endpolicebrutality,” she said.

Another tweeter @IchieDNonsHRM wrote: “Unfortunately, it is not the @PoliceNG that is the enemy of youths in Nigeria. It is the Nigerian government itself that is the enemy of the youth.”

Yemi Fasipe on @YemieFASH responded that “Today, it is okay to say that the Nigeria Police is an enemy of Nigerian youths.

þHe said: “We are yet to get over the murder of Kolade Johnson by men of the @PoliceNG, and just barely a week after they have killed another innocent Nigerian youth. Jessica (Ada) did not commit any crime. It looks like they have concluded to be killing us weekly. #EndPoliceBrutality.”

Another tweeter @dubbledizzle said: “These police officers are usually in a unit headed by a leader/superior officer.  Until their unit commanders are also held responsible, these killings will still continue. #holdtheirsuperiorsresponsibleToo”

Elkana gave the names of the arrested officers as Inspector Adamu Usman, Sergeants Adeyeye Adeoye, Kashim Tijani, Lucky Akigbe and Paul Adeoye.

According to him, Inspector Dania Ojo, who escaped immediately after the shooting, is declared wanted by the command.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Zubairu Muazu, he said, called for calm, as the command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice prevails.

He added that the CP expressed the command’s deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ada Ifeanyi and promised to foot the bills of Emmanuel Akomafuwa.

Elkana said: “The victims were taken to a hospital and Ada was confirmed dead. Emmanuel is on admission receiving treatment for the injury he sustained.

“Members of the team suspected to be involved in the shooting are from Trinity Police Station and are facing internal disciplinary proceedings at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

“Their rifles have been retrieved for forensic analysis by ballisticians. If found wanting, they will be prosecuted at a conventional court for murder.

“Lagos State Police Command condemned in total, these senseless killings of unarmed civilians by few ‘bad eggs’ in the command, who are bent on denting the image of the police.

“The command will not relent in its efforts to rid the force of these criminals. 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 added that the command had in the last one month dismissed four policemen for abuse of power and conducts unbecoming of police officers and punished 41 others.

“The four dismissed policemen were charged to court and remanded in prison custody. Our resolve in building a more humane, professional, dedicated, courageous and people-oriented force is a task that must be done and together we can make it a reality,” he said.