Lagos police tries to cover up shooting of banker and security guard

The police in Lagos are currently attempting to cover up the shooting of Access Bank Staff, Femi Badejo; and a security guard, Joshua Musa.

Punch reporters, Kunle Falayi and Eniola Akinkuotu had reported on Monday that Badejo and the security guard were shot by the policemen attached to Maroko Police station while responding to a distress call about a robbery. Badejo had told Punch that he was shot five times by the police.

Badejo, who is presently writhing in pains at St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Island, said, "Around 4am, armed robbers stormed my home. I live in a one story building and there are four tenants occupying the ground floor. Continue after the cut:

"The robbers robbed all of us occupying the ground floor. They stole my clothes, money, phones and other valuables. While the robbery was ongoing, one of the tenants called Maroko Police Division."

Badejo said after the robbers had fled, scores of policemen arrived at the house while one of them started shooting indiscriminately.

He said, “We (neighbours) were all inside the compound counting our losses when we heard a bang on the gate. Immediately the security guard opened, one of the policemen started shooting indiscriminately.

"The security guard was shot in the pelvic and in the back but the bullet pierced through his chest. I immediately took cover under a car but the policeman came to where I was and started shooting at me.

"I immediately hid under d car but the policeman came behind me and shot me five times."

Police have however denied the allegations. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, told the Nation newspaper that the banker was shot by mistake just once and not five times.

She also said the security guard was not shot by the police but was found dead when policemen arrived the scene.

She said, "According to the Area Commander, when the policemen arrived the scene, the security guard was found dead and the banker was hiding under a car so they shot him once thinking that he was an armed robber."

PUNCH however interviewed the supposedly dead security guard and he is presently on life support but is conscious at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

His uncle, who is a retired policeman, said he was shot by the police and not by armed robbers.

The interview which is in Punch of today infuriated the police authorities for making them look stupid to the extent that when the Punch reporter, Kunle Falayi, arrived at the office of the CP, Mr. Umar Manko, he was walked out of the premises of the police command.

All this happpened in the presence of 12 other journalists.

Eniola Akinkuotu has also been warned by the police repeatedly not to write bad reports about them or face grievous consequences.