Four policemen to face murder charges for extrajudicial killing in Lagos

• Army dismisses killer of Okada rider, hands him over to police in Abia
Four ‘trigger-happy’ police officers have been arrested by the Lagos State police command’s ‘decoy’ operatives for alleged extra-judicial killing and they will face murder charges in court.

This was disclosed by the command’s spokesman, Bala Elkana, who said the attention of the command was drawn to a viral video on social media showing some policemen shooting two unarmed suspects who were arrested and already in their custody against the code of professional conduct and laws guiding how suspects in police custody should be treated.

The policemen were identified as Inspector Fabiyi Omomayara, Sergeant Olaniyi Solomon, Sergeant Solomon Sunday and Corporal Aliyu Mukaila attached to Iba Division patrol team.

He said: “The incident happened on August 19, at about 3:00p.m., when Iba Police Station received a distress call from one Anugu Valentine of No. 250, Agege Motor Road, Mushin, that he was attacked by a group of armed men numbering four on two motorcycles at Ipayi area of Iba and they dispossessed him of one iPhone max valued at N450,000.

“Acting on the information, the Divisional Police Officer Iba promptly deployed the patrol team to the scene. Two of the armed robbers were arrested while two escaped. Two locally-made pistols with six live cartridges and five expended cartridges were recovered. The gang is said to be notorious for series of robberies in Iba and environs. It was a well-celebrated operation by the team as the suspects were gallantly arrested.

“The team, however, went extreme by killing the suspects who were already in their custody instead of taking them to the police station and allowing the normal process of investigation and prosecution to be initiated as stipulated under procedural laws.

“That act of extra judicial killings falls short of police professional standards and cannot be condoned by the command. The Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.

“The officers are currently subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings known as Orderly Room trial and if found culpable, they will be dismissed from the force and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department Yaba for prosecution in a conventional court.”

A resident of the area who confided in The Guardian added that he is on the death list of one of the ‘killer’ police officer, Solomon who warned him to flee Iba town or risk being criminalized and killed.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army yesterday handed over to the Abia State police command for necessary action Lance Corporal Ajayi Johnson, who reportedly shot to death a motorcyclist, Mr. Chimaobi Nwaogu at Umuokere Ngwa area of the state on August 7.

The Deputy Director Army Public Relations of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, in a statement yesterday said Johnson was handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ene Okon, in his office in Umuahia by the Commander of the 14 Brigade of the Nigeria Army based at Ohafia, Abia, Brig. Gen. S.B. Kumakpayi.

The police boss said Johnson’s handover has now made police investigation into the matter easier. Yusuf stated that before Johnson was handed over, he was tried according to the extant rules and regulations of the Nigerian Army. “He was charged, tried, reduced in rank to private and subsequently dismissed from service.”