The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a police inspector said to have allegedly fired a shot at a commercial cab in the Agric, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, which hit an up and coming artiste, Olasore Oluwafemi. The state police spokesperson, Kenneth Nwosu, told source that the policeman had been transferred to the police headquarters pending the conclusion of investigations. This came as the victim said he was going through excruciating pain because the bullet had yet to be removed from his leg.Source had reported on Tuesday, last week, that the 28-year-old was on his way to meeting his friend, Opeyemi Efunwole, at the Agric area, when a team of policemen stopped the commercial cab he was in. The police in the area were said to be notorious for extorting money from cab drivers.
However, after the driver tried reversing the car, one of the policemen was said to have fired a shot which penetrated the cab and hit the victim in the leg.
The cops were said to have taken to their heels after seeing the havoc they wreaked. source reported that the Divisional Police Officer, when confronted by a friend and some relatives of the victim, denied knowledge of the incident.
He reportedly defended his men, even after one of them was reportedly identified as the culprit by the cab driver.
But our correspondent has been told that the police authorities have finally fished out the culprit and he was being detained at the police headquarters.
The police spokesperson, Nwosu, said, “We have transferred the case to the state headquarters for further diligent investigation. The truth is that we are trying to x-ray all possibilities, so that when we name who did what, we will be certain. But an inspector has been arrested in connection with the matter and we are trying to determine his culpability or innocence.”
Meanwhile, Oluwafemi told source he had visited the police to show a copy of the scan of the bullet in his leg.
He said, “It’s about two weeks now since the incident happened and the bullet has not been removed. A doctor at the Ikorodu General Hospital said we will have to wait for the injuries to heal before they remove the bullet. I have seen two to three other doctors and they said the same thing.
“The police have, however, been putting pressure on me and calling me to withdraw my statement without caring for my health. They have been begging me, but that is not the issue. For a few days now, I have been in pain and couldn’t sleep very well. My foot is swollen, but the doctor has given me a drug and he said as soon as the place heals, he will remove the bullet.”
A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who is handling the case, told our correspondent he would be suing the police for damages.
He said, “My chamber will be handling this case free of charge for the victim. We will petition the authorities and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the case and punish whoever is culpable.
“We will also ask for compensation.”
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