Joy Anyim
Four policemen attached to the Iba Police Division, in Lagos State, have been arrested for shooting to death two unarmed suspects in their custody.
Information had it that the police division had received a distress call last Monday from Anugu Valentine, who was attacked by a four man robbery gang at Ipaye in Iba.
Valentine had alleged that the robbers had snatched his iPhone max valued at N450,000, amongst other valuable.
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Responding to the distress call, the policemen, Inspector Fabiyi Omomayara, Sergeant Olaniyi Solomon, Sergeant Solomon Sunday and Corporal Aliyu Mukaila, quickly rushed to the scene where they arrested two of the suspects.
Recovered from the suspects who were notorious for the act were, one locally made pistols with six life cartridges and five expended cartridges.
However, rather than take the suspects to the division to commence proper investigation, the police team had allegedly shot dead the two robbers at the scene of the incident.
A video of the extra judicial killing by the police team had surfaced online on Tuesday, attracting public outcry.
In response to the call for justice, the Lagos Police Command had arrested the policemen on Wednesday.
The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Elkana Bala, issued a statement on the arrest of the policemen saying they will be charged to court for murder.
Bala said, “Attention of Lagos State Police Command was drawn to a video on social media showing some police officers 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 incident happened, on Monday, at 3.00pm, when Iba Police Station received a distress call from Anugu Valentine of No. 250 Agege motor road Mushin, that he was attacked by a group of armed men numbering about four on two motorcycles at Ipaye area, 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 Divisional Patrol team to the scene. Two of the armed robbers were arrested while two escaped. It was a well celebrated operation by the team as the suspects were gallantly arrested.
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“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 Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. ”
The PPRO said the policemen are currently being subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings known as orderly room trial, and if found culpable, will be dismissed from the Force and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba, for prosecution in the conventional court.
Bala noted that members of the Public will be updated on the outcome of the investigation and trial.
