26th September, 2016
The Lagos State police command has arrested an operative of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, who allegedly shot and killed Joseph Eidonojie-Ugbeni, an undergraduate of a polytechnic in Edo State.
The officer involved in this unprofessional act was reportedly arrested on Friday.
According to reports, some SARS officers were chasing a notorious suspected Internet fraudster, identified as Badoo, who had parked his car and fled upon sighting the officers at Ogoja Market, along LASU-Igando Road.
It was gathered that the operatives started shooting sporadically and one of the bullets hit Joseph who had gone to buy a drink with his cousin.
Reports also have it that the officer that fired the shot had been arrested and taken to the scene of the incident.
A source according to Punch reports was quoted as saying that, “he was arrested on Friday and taken in handcuffs to the place where the incident happened.”
He said, “Badoo lives in that community and is popular; the SARS officers also know him. He was not their target that day. They had actually conducted a raid and arrested some people. They were leaving when they sighted him in his car. They called his name and he quickly abandoned his car and fled.
“He had just returned from the bank that day. Badoo had travelled to South Africa and had recently returned to the community.”
The victim’s father, Patrick Eidonojie-Ugbeni, demanded justice for the son.
He said, “The Badoo they were chasing showed up on Friday at the SARS office with his lawyer and parents. I met the Officer-in-Charge of SARS as well. They shot my son in the head and they claimed that he had a gun and that they shot him in self-defence. How is that possible when he was shot in the head from behind? All I want now is that the police should release the post-mortem result and the police report on the incident.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who had earlier confirmed the incident said the case had been transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
She said, “Mr. Fatai Owoseni, the state Commissioner of Police, has ordered that the case be investigated by the homicide section. We will keep you posted as soon as we are done with investigations.”