The Lagos State Government is to sue the State Police Command and the former Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Pen Cinema Police Station over the alleged murder of a protester and wounded three others during the last fuel subsidy protest in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The deceased, 27-year old Demola Abiodun was allegedly shot dead by the dismissed former DPO, Segun Fabunmi and three others who were injured and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Governor Babatunde Fashola had ordered the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye to take up the case and ensure that justice was done in the matter as he vowed that the matter would not be swept under carpet.

The Office of the Public Defender, OPD, an agency under the State Ministry of Justice is handling the case.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS, the Director, OPD, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi said the state government was suing the police and the former DPO for N200 million for the murder of Abiodun and N100 million each for three others who were wounded by police bullets during the protest.

She said the OPD was ready to press charges against the police over the murder of Abiodun and injuring three others.

Rotimi stated that the office had already forwarded its investigation and the charges to the Attorney General and the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary for approval, which she said, had been granted.

According to her, the OPD would soon proceed to court to sue the police command and the killer DPO over the matter, adding that what was delaying the action was the absence of the autopsy report.

She said the autopsy report was ready and that the office was waiting for the Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, Prof. John Obafunwa, a pathologist to make the autopsy available to the office.

“Once the autopsy is ready, we will head to court. We are ready. The DPO who killed Abiodun is still in prison,” she said.

In January, during the nationwide fuel subsidy protest in Lagos, Fabunmi, the accused former DPO, who was in charge of Pen Cinema Police Station, was alleged to have personally shot dead Abiodun while they were playing football on College Road, Ogba and wounded three others.

The ex-DPO and his team were said to have pursued Abiodun and others to a house in the area and shot them and fled.

The outcry against the murder of Abiodun made Fashola to wade into the matter, ordering the Attorney General to probe the murder in order to prosecute the culprit.

The Attorney General, has vowed that justice must be done in the matter and that it must not be swept under the carpet, saying that government would take over the prosecution of the DPO for allegedly killing an innocent citizen.

According to him, since the deceased was killed in the state, the government had the right to take over the case and ensure that justice prevailed.

“We have already instructed office of the DPP to be vigilant. Aside, we have started gathering our own facts. We are also paying attention to the details in order to avoid a miscarriage of justice. The prosecution of the accused person will commence as soon as the report is ready.

“We are currently waiting for the report of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding his killing. The state DPP is duly following up the case to ensure that there is no cover-up and that justice is done in the matter,” he said.

The OPD had also two years ago secured N100 million compensation in the court for Miss Uzoma Okereke, who was brutalised by naval ratings in Victoria Island area of the state.



http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/03/06/subsidy-murder-lagos-to-sue-police-killer-dpo-for-n500m/

God bless Fashola, God bless Lagos State.

fashola lacks the moral justification to open his incinerator. wasn't it the same fash who sent police men to harass protesters along lekki toll gate?

dat good

Hmmm, How many years will the case last?

Good! they should give what he gave to the deceased!

dabrake:

fashola lacks the moral justification to open his incinerator. wasn't it the same fash who sent police men to harass protesters along lekki toll gate?

b4 altering any word,always av ur facts, tanx

God bless His Excellency Governor Fashola

Fashola for President 2015

debedebe:

b4 altering any word,always av ur facts, tanx

bro, please educate me. i am ever ready to learn. i remain grateful in advance

Thanks BRF. Please replicate the same for all the murders committed by the Police force.

Let's wait and see how it goes,

dabrake:

fashola lacks the moral justification to open his incinerator. wasn't it the same fash who sent police men to harass protesters along lekki toll gate?

I know some of you do no even think before typing. If he gives an order to police to manage unrest area, did he give an order to kill protesters? Think now ha.

Thumbs up for Uncle Fash!

debedebe:

b4 altering any word,always av ur facts, tanx

So who sent them or preferably on whose behalf were they acting If not the governor, was his television and radio turned off when eveyone was reporting on the incidents for 3 solid days?

yemmight:

I know some of you do no even think before typing.  If he gives an order to police to manage unrest area, did he give an order to kill protesters?  Think now ha.

But he who must come to equity must come with clean hands

The death of that innocent guy is being used as a political football be Fashola. It is a really low thing to do.
What about the LASTMA officials that have killed several people? Has LASTMA been taken to court?
To make matters worse, there have been numerous police killings in Lagos. Why are these too low profile for Fashola to sue the police over?

I am not convinced and only see this as yet another of wickedness by our politicians.

Check the below out. Why hasn't Fashola sued?

[size=14pt]Protest in Lagos as police kill NPA staff over N50 bribe[/size]
On February 13, 2012 · In Crime Alert
12:30 am
Tweet

By Ifeanyi Okolie
THERE was pandemonium, yesterday, at the Barracks axis of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos State, when a police corporal attached to Onireke Division, shot and killed a 56-year-old man, Daniel Nigeria, inside a commercial bus. The policeman, identified as Kazeem Shittu, with Force number 3538000, was trying to extort N50 from the bus conductor.

He was said to have accosted the commercial bus heading to Mile 2, at a checking point mounted in front of Onireke police station and ordered the bus conductor to pay him a N50 fee for plying the route. Time was 8.30am.


*The deceased, Daniel Nigeria and his wife, Rachael

Killing of NPA staff: The conductor reportedly refused to obey the order and was threatened by the police officer who later corked his AK-47 rifle and shot at him. Eye witnesses said the bullet missed the conductor and hit the passenger (Daniel Nigeria) who sat beside him on the chest and he died. Witnesses told Crime Alert that the sight of the innocent man lying on a pool of blood infuriated residents, traders and passersby, who spontaneously rose and protested the killing.

. . .

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/protest-in-lagos-as-police-kill-npa-staff-over-n50-bribe/

chosen04:

But he who must come to equity must come with clean hands

You are rignt on point because many of us do not know this.

@Beaf

Ewhu you don show abi? Anything that concerns Fashola is never a good sight for you. What about the Office of the Public Defender he newly built? What do you have to say about that? Does your state even have a Public Defender talkless of an office?

@Topic

Fashola, this is great. Ride on, haters gonna hate.

Well done fashola justice has to take its due course, enough of the police brutality.

the OPD is for all.i am sure the boy's family lawyers were smart enough to petition the office.

what it means is that OPD can also act for anyone killed by the act of any official in the employ of lagos stateeven if settlement has to be by an external arbitrator.so don't blame fashola if OPD is not petitioned.

the law establishing OPD covers so many things, recently a battered wife reported the husband there.they called him for peace talks but with hidden warning that he could be taken to court if the battering is repeated.since then the battering has stopped.we know cause the lady is close to us

point?   the fash admin is praiseworthy!,

with the look of things, Nigerian police will soon declare itself bankrupt b4 middle of the year

diluminati:

@Beaf

Ewhu you don show abi? Anything that concerns Fashola is never a good sight for you. What about the Office of the Public Defender he newly built? What do you have to say about that? Does your state even have a Public Defender talkless of an office?

@Topic

Fashola, this is great. Ride on, haters gonna hate.

Please don't mind that clown he is anonymous. He opposed any good deed from other party leaders, except his clueless retardeen uncle and his co looters are his favorite. Good development from Gov. Fash am really impressed.

LEXYLOV:

Please don't mind that clown he is anonymous. He opposed any good deed from other party leaders, except his clueless retardeen uncle and his co looters are his favorite. Good development from Gov. Fash am really impressed.

Is this person you call retardeen one of your ancestors?

, Wait and see the end of the case before you apportion applauds/credits; it might turn out to be another political/diplomatic move to silence the masses.

i have just been informed that OPD is actually in court against many govt officials including the police and that this case is no exception.i asked if what an official of the judiciary is involved will such a person get real justice?.the reply was that any ruling can be appealed if not satisfied.

so it does not appear like this is a political gimmick o!!!