Killer Cop on Distress Call Murders Victim

The fate of his 28 years of service in the Nigeria Police Force may be hanging in the balance following his murder of one Mr. Akanbi, a man whom he had been invited to help settle a rift. Inspector Ibrahim, Abdullahi is now cooling his heels at the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, where he is being investigated for the murder, after which he would be put on Orderly Room trial. He was attached to the Elere Police Division of the Lagos command.

Two neighbours, Akanbi, a vulcaniser and another unidentified man were said to have had a quarrel around the Ile-Epo bus stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta Road over payments for vulcanising services rendered by Akanbi. The latter eventually seized the tyres of the car of the other neighbour. The man whose tyres were seized had invited Abdullahi to come help retrieve his tyres from Akanbi, the vulcaniser.

At the arrival of the inspector, an argument ensued between him and Akanbi. One thing led to the other, Abdullahi was said to have lost his temper and pulled the trigger; and instantly (Akanbi) went down in a pool of his blood.

Eyewitness accounts said the deceased died before help could come his way as everybody had scampered to safety at the sound of the gunshot, to avoid being victims too.
Although he confirmed the incident, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Umar Manko, at the weekend said the killer inspector has been arrested and kept in detention pending the conclusion of investigations.

Manko made this disclosure when the newly elected officials of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), led by its President, Christopher Orji of the Sun Newspapers, visited him in his office in Ikeja.

While stressing that he would expose and deal with any police officer who acted unprofessionally, he said the killer cop attached to Elere Police Division, allegedly answered a distress call, but later committed the crime under unprofessional circumstances.

Manko explained that the shooting was an accidental discharge, adding that the inspector had not put on his safety catch of his rifle. He said: “We are not interested in what led to the distress call, but we are interested in the fact that a life was lost in the incident. The inspector acted unprofessionally. He has spent 28 years in the force and should have been more careful.”

“He has been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for investigation and he would be charged for murder. He will undergo an orderly room trial and the command would make public the report of the trial.”

However, he called on CRAN members to be objective in their reportage, stressing that as partners in fighting crime, there was the need for a level playing field for all parties.



-- Thisdaylife