Policeman shoots family, kills wife over N50

For refusing to stop and allegedly giving out the regular bribe, a police corporal fired shots at a family travelling in a tricycle, popularly called keke, along the Ijegun/Isheri road in Alimosho local government area of Lagos State, hitting the driver in the jaw, and killing his wife.
Angry protesters shut the road as the police team took to their heels.
The keke driver, Godwin Ekpo, was said to be returning from a church event with his wife, Indogesit and their four kids aged between one and four years old, when they came across the police team from the Isheri Osun Police Division, who allegedly collect N50 or N100 every morning and evening from commercial transporters plying the road.
Reports say Godwin refused to stop when flagged by the police team, claiming that he was not carrying paying passengers but his family members. This was said to have angered the policemen as one of the officers shattered his windscreen with a baton, as he sped past and a police corporal, identified as Aremu Musesiu, opened fire on the keke conveying the family.
Indogesit was reported hit on the head, and died on the spot, while Godwin who was hit on the jaw was said to be in a critical condition at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where he was taken for treatment.
It was learnt that the bullet pierced through the tricycle back side and hit Idongesit, who was breastfeeding a three-month-old baby.
The policemen were said to have hurriedly taken money from the tricycle drivers they had earlier detained, before fleeing the scene.
A witness, Kabiru Olaoye, said the residents quickly formed a crowd at the scene and prevented the policemen from leaving.

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He added that the cops called for reinforcement, adding that officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and policemen from surrounding divisions arrived at the scene and rescued the killer-cops.
Olaoye said, “The policemen, who perpetrated the havoc, were eight in number and they included Demola and Aremu. Aremu was the one who fired the shot.”
Tricycle drivers in the community trooped out on Thursday to protest the death and demanded justice for the victims.
The protesters held placards, some of which read, ‘Isheri Police, your generation will suffer,’ ‘Stop killing us,’ among others.
The protest train went to the Isheri Osun Police Station, where they met a team of armed policemen in more than six vans. An Armoured Personnel Carrier was also mounted on the road to the station.
The Financial Secretary of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Lagos State branch, Chinanzor Ifechiga, was brutalised and her telephone seized by the Divisional Police Officer.
Ifechiga, who was accused of filming the protest and taking pictures, was manhandled by eight policemen, who struggled to take the phone from her on the order of the DPO.
The protesters left the station for Ijegun Road, where they ordered other tricycle operators to cease work.
A tricycle driver, Oladimeji Ayinde, said the police deposited the remains of the victim in a mortuary.
“The man was rejected at the Igando hospital and was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital at Ikeja.”
It was learnt that the family tricycle had been taken to the Area M Police Command, while the children of the victims were with the police.
A member of the tricycle drivers association in the area, Bamidele Olorunshogo, said tricycle drivers in the community were being constantly harassed by the police in the Isheri Osun station.
Olorunshogo said, “Their mode of operation is that whenever the police arrest you, you will pay at least N3,000. If you don’t have the money on you, you will be allowed to go home and bring the money.”

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Reacting, a visibly angry Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, ordered the immediate arrest of members of the team on duty that night.
The arrested team members include Sergeant Benson Ahambo, Corporal Augustine Telenundu, Corporal Onu Samuel and Corporal Musefun Aremu.
Owoseni has also queried the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of the division for allowing his men to operate without a properly labeled Police vehicle, which is against the directive of the Inspector General of Police.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Mr Johnson Kokumo, has been with the tricycle operator in the hospital.
And the police commissioner said: “The command has quickly responded to the incident.
‘’We will do everything within our capacity to ensure that the children and their father are well taken care of at the moment.
“In furtherance of the Inspector General of Police’s stance that the Nigeria Police will not encourage or tolerate any act of barbarism, lawlessness, misuse of fire arms, the corporal that is involved has immediately been taken into custody this morning (yesterday) with necessary disciplinary measures completed.
‘’He has been charged for murder and will be taken to court tomorrow (today). The DPO has also been issued a query for disobeying the IGP’s instruction that policemen should go about their duty in properly labeled vehicles and be properly dressed.
‘’We have also extended disciplinary measures on the team leader and other policemen with the corporal.”

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