A middle-aged man, Femi Best, was on Sunday morning, allegedly shot dead by the Divisional Police Officer of the Olosan Police Station, Mushin, Kayode Ojaleponwa.
According to an eye witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident happened about 5.30am when Mr Best, who was driving his light blue Nissan Odyssey SUV, ran into the car conveying the police boss and his team at the Fadeyi Bus Stop. Mr Ojaleponwa, dressed in plain clothes, and driving his tinted Honda Accord car, pursued Mr Best as he drove away. Two other plain clothes police officers were also in the car with the police boss. Mr Best, also known as Femi Yahoo, was said to have driven to Onipanu and parked in front of the Onipanu Police Station. Persons at the scene allege that the police boss, on reaching there, brought out his gun and shot Mr Best in the head several times.
Mob reaction
Mr Best’s death caused pandemonium at the police station as heavily armed youth from the Agunbiade area of Shomolu invaded the station in protest of the murder. They also unleashed terror on commuters and other business owners in the area and held police officers hostage for close to one hour before the Rapid Response Squad, from the Alade and Bariga Police Stations, mobilised and disarmed the youth. “About 6.00am, we heard gun shots and the youth, numbering about one thousand, were moving from Agunbiade to Onipanu,” said Tokyo Jide, a resident of Shomulu. “They were chanting war songs that the DPO of the Olosan Police Station had killed Femi Yahoozee. Femi is a well known ‘Yahoo Man’ (Internet scammer) in Shomolu and he also belongs to the Eiye Cult (a secret confraternity). Femi’s girlfriend, who was with him in his jeep when the DPO shot him, said the police car chased them from Mushin down to Onipanu Police Station. She said it was the DPO that shot Femi several times.”
According to Mr Jide, the victim’s girl friend informed his friends and the cultists mobilised and come to the police station. “When the youth came, they saw Femi in a pool of his own blood and the police officers at the station tried to calm the youth that they were not the ones who shot Femi, but the youth will not be calmed,” he said. “They wanted to burn down the station, but the RRS police men arrived the scene and started shooting and throwing [tear gas] canisters into the air. They were able to free the hostage but peace is yet to be restored to Onipanu because the youth said they must revenge the death of their friend.”
Containing the situation
About ten patrol vans, with heavily armed police officers, have been placed at the troubled spot. Police officers have cordoned off the station, while movement in and out of the Onipanu Bus Stop have been restricted. A senior police officer at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mr Ojaleponwa has been detained. “The DPO who shot the man has been arrested but I cannot tell you his name, because the case is under investigation,” he said. “Our concern now is to maintain law and order as the youth have threatened to burn down all the police stations at Shomolu. So we have beefed up security. People should not take the laws into their hands because it will cause more problem for the country.”
Frank Mba, the spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command, said the police is investigating the incident. “An officer attached to the command, accused of being the author of the crime, has been arrested and currently assisting investigators with the on-going investigation,” he said. “The body of the deceased has been deposited in a government morgue for autopsy. A team of senior police officers from the Command, led by the CP (Commissioner of Police), Marvel Akpoyibo, has since visited the scene of the incident. While commiserating with the family of the deceased, the Command wishes to reassure all concerned that the investigation into the incident will be swift, discreet and transparent.”
Mr Best is survived by a wife and kids.
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