Ademola’s death: IPO claims 200 youths attacked policemen

Posted by admin Headlines, Nigerian Police Thursday, April 12th, 2012

April 12, 2012 by Kunle Falayi

The police officer investigating the murder of Abiodun Ademola, the 26-year-old youth, allegedly shot by the Divisional Police Officer of Pen Cinema during the fuel subsidy removal protests in Lagos, has said about 200 youths hurled stones and bottles at the police team on the day of the incident.

The IPO, Olumide Alagbe, an inspector, said this in his evidence on Wednesday during the coroner’s inquest before Magistrate Tajudeen Elias of an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos.

Alagbe of the State Criminal Investigation Department claimed that the police went to Yaya Abatan area of Ogba following a distress call that a crowd was blocking the road in the area and attacking innocent people.

The policeman, who was being led in evidence by a representative of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Yinka Farounbi, said the DPO, Mr. Segun Fabunmi, and other eight policemen went to the scene with the intention of preventing the youth from attacking people.

Farounbi asked the IPO, “Were any stones or bottles recovered at the scene? Was any member of Fabunmi’s team hospitalised as a result of the attack?”

Alagbe said neither bottles nor stones were recovered at the scene, adding that he did not know if any of the policemen was injured as none of them was hospitalised.

“But you said in your evidence that the team was attacked by about 200 youths with stones and bottles. None of the policemen was hospitalised?” he asked again.

The IPO said the police patrol vehicle brought to the scene was damaged as a result of the attack but had been repaired. But when asked if he took a photograph of the damaged vehicle, he said he did not.

A lawyer from Access to Justice, Mrs. C. R. Chinbueze, also led the IPO in evidence, asking him if it was possible for a bullet from an AK 47 rifle that was not cocked to go off on its own.

Alagbe answered that it was not possible for the gun to go off unexpectedly if it was not cocked.

“I put it to you that the DPO (Fabunmi) went to the scene prepared to shoot,” the AJ’s lawyer said.

The police lawyer, Cyril Ejiofor, promptly objected the line of questioning.

Chinbueze asked Alage to read a section of his written evidence, which stated, “…there were some group of people blocking the road on Yaya Abatan and a team left the office for the scene. On sighting the police vehicle, they started throwing stones and bottles.”

The lawyer then asked the IPO why he stated that the youth of Yaya Abatan were attacking innocent people when his evidence-in-chief stated that the people were only blocking the road.

“When they got there and were being attacked by about 200 people, why did the team not think about calling for reinforcement? I put it to you that you are not a credible witness in this case,” Chinbueze said.

The IPO also said the case file had been transferred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions but added that the investigation had not being completed.

He also said live ammunition were recovered from the scene and had been sent for forensic investigation.

“The investigation will be completed anytime from now but Fabunmi is still being detained,” he said.

Ademola was shot at Yaya Abatan area of Ogba by Fabunmi on January 9 during the anti-fuel subsidy removal protests in Lagos and some other parts of the country.

Eyewitnesses had told PUNCH Metro at the time that the DPO shot into the air and later shot at Ademola, who bled to death metres away from scene.

A suit has been filed at the high court seeking the payment of N200m to the family of the deceased and N100m to the other survivors.

-Punchwp_posts