Police disown ‘killer’ cop in ⁠⁠⁠Apapa crisis

Fatai Owoseni

• Warns officers against electoral malpractices in council poll

Lagos State police boss, Fatai Owoseni, yesterday condemned the killing of a truck driver at Apapa, disowning the sergeant.The sergeant attached to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) 23, had shot dead a driver, who allegedly stabbed him for insisting that his truck be removed from the bank’s entrance.

Irked by the driver’s death, his colleagues had gone on rampage, setting two banks ablaze and vandalising properties in the area.Owoseni, who visited the scene Wednesday afternoon, told reporters yesterday that the sergeant acted “on his own” and has been taken into custody. He said despite that the policeman was stabbed, the gun given to him was not to be used at will.

“It was an unfortunate incident. Like we said before, the policeman in question has been taken into custody and currently being guarded in the hospital because he was stabbed. As of this morning, he was taken to the theatre for surgery.

That notwithstanding, the provisions of extant regulations of the police would be applied in dealing with the situation.“Without justifying their actions, I think the reaction from the drivers was as a result of bottled up anger. Some of them left their families to load at the port with expectation to return within two days, only to spend one week there.

“But that does not mean they should take laws into their hands. What they did was brazen lawlessness. We appeal to the public that when things happen like that, the rule of law should be allowed to take its course.”

On the extent of damage done to the banks, Owoseni said it would be hasty to give statistics, since the banks were still taking stocks. The police chief said persons arrested were being screened so that those innocent would not be punished unjustly.

Meanwhile, as the Lagos State Local Council elections hold tomorrow, the Commissioner of Police has urged security agencies in the state not to allow themselves be used to truncate the process.

Owoseni, who gave the warning at one day training for all the security agencies that would participate in the electoral process held at the POWA secretariat, GRA, Ikeja, reminded them that everyone was looking up to them to see what they were going to do and how they were going to act on that day.

“The uniform that we are wearing is far above whatever political office that they want to go and hold. It is on this note that I want to urge us to please, let us discharge our responsibilities before, during and after the election within the extant rules and regulations that established each and every one our institutions so that at the end of the day, we can be seen to be above board and they won’t come to say it is any of the uniform service that truncated the process.