Relatives of a 25-year-old driver, Aondona Tavershima, who was allegedly killed and buried in a shallow grave at a beach by a team of mobile policemen attached to Lekki Residents Associations in Lekki area of Lagos State, have called on police authorities to bring their brother’s killers to justice.
Tavershima died last Wednesday when policemen from Mopol 23 Squadron Command, Lagos, accosted him on Folaoshibo Street, off Emma Abimbo, Lekki, on a bike and opened fire on him. He reportedly died on the spot.
The policemen, five in number, were said to have hurriedly taken the deceased for burial in a shallow grave at Jakande New Kuramo beach.
Vanguard gathered that eyewitnesses alerted relatives of the deceased, who was said to be a native of Benue State.
The matter, as gathered, was immediately reported at Maroko Police Station and the Divisional Police Officer mobilized his men to Lekki, arrested the five officers and exhumed Tavershima’s corpse, which was deposited at a mortuary.
Brother’s story
One of Tavershima’s brothers, Tersoo Tavershima, who narrated how he was killed and buried in a shallow grave by the mobile policemen, said: “My brother is a driver working here in Lagos and the person he works for travelled abroad.
“I was not present at the scene of the incident, but was told by eyewitnesses that the team of mobile policemen attached to Lekki Resident Association, accosted my brother on a motorbike on Folaoshibo Street, off Emma Abimbo, Lekki.
“They tried to stop him, but he did not stop and they shot him. He rammed a gate by that street and the mobile policeman went after him and shot him again. The owner of the building insisted that the policemen take him away.
“They took him to New Kuramo Beach, Jakande, paid the Omonile (touts) some money and buried my brother. News came that my brother had been killed and we went in search of him.
“A man, who witnessed my brother’s burial, contacted me on phone and I mobilized some of my relatives and we went to the beach to search for him. One of our in-laws, who took part in the search, found the grave.
“We dug a little and saw my brother’s leg. One of my brothers and I quickly ran to Maroko Division and insisted on seeing the District Police Officer, DPO.
DPO’s intervention
“When we reported the matter, he was furious. He led a team to Lekki and arrested all the mobile policemen on ground.
“He brought them to his station and asked them why they killed my brother. The leader of the team, an Inspector, explained that he shot my brother because he refused to stop when he asked him to stop.
“The DPO asked them why they took my brother for burial without bringing him to the station and the Inspector could not say anything.
“He then ordered that they be detained and later transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti.
“I am happy with the way the DPO handled the case, but I am troubled that we may not get a similar treatment in Panti, because as I speak with you, I have been informed that the mobile policemen are denying that they buried my brother in the shallow grave we found his corpse.
“I want police authorities to ensure that my brother’s killers, whose duty it was to protect him, are brought to justice.”
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