Aftermath of Police Brutality: Youths Prepare for Reprisal Attack

Source: huhuonline.com

Several youths yesterday afternoon stormed the Lagos state House of Assembly protesting the extra judicial killings of some people in Somolu, an area of Lagos state. The youths further threatened that if nothing was done in the within seven days to bring the killer policemen to book, they would be forced to start killing policemen in the area.

The Divisional Police Officer of the Olosan Police station, Mohammed B. Malla, was said to have shot and killed one Femi Olayiwola , a father of one very early on Sunday.

Mr. Malla, who was said to be in a grey coloured Toyota Camry with plate number PM 601 KJ   chased the deceased who was in his car with his siblings into the Onipanu Police station and shot him at close range.

It was learnt that the DPO flagged down the car and because he was not wearing uniform, the occupants including Olayiwola took him for an armed robber and decided to seek refuge at the Onipanu police station only for the DPO to trail them to the place and kill the deceased.

The youths, including the deceased's family members, wife and two year-old son, were led to the House by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR.

They carried placards with anti-police inscriptions.

They claimed that the murder of Olayiwola was the second to be masterminded by the police within two weeks.

On November 17, a day after the Sallah celebration, two friends, Ibrahim Tijani and Wasiu Salami, a meat seller, were shot at by men of the Alade Police station in the same Somolu because they allegedly refused to bribe the officers..

Tijani died on the spot while Salami was had severe wounds on his right arm and ribs as a result of gunshots.

Realising the enormity of the action, the alleged killer police officers were said to have taken the deceased to the Mortuary at the Isolo General Hospital and labelled him a robber whose family whereabouts were unknown.

Huhuonline.com however learnt that Tijani's wife later surfaced and this made the Divisional Police Officer of Alade police station take temporary responsibility for the treatment of Salami who has now been abandoned with his wounds.

Leading the protesters, Bunus Isiak of the CDHR said: "we are here because we do not want to take laws into our own hands. That is why we are here to give you just one week.

"We call for the immediate closure of Onipanu and Olosan police stations else if nothing is done within the seven days, any police officer found there would be eliminated completely.

"We are used to politicians telling us they are coming but after a week and nothing is done, we will take laws into our hands with the support of the CDHR and the people of Somolu."

The Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji while assuring them that he would do everything within his powers to ensure justice also maintained that since the DPO flouted the law that empowered him, he would be made to dance to the music.

The House also mandated the Attorney General of the state, Olasupo Ojo, to immediately commence an inquest into the death of Femi.

The lawmaker representing Somolu constituency at the House, Rotimi Olowo also declared that he would not sleep until justice was done.

The threat by the youths of the area has now increased the tension in the place.

Banks and other business organisations refused to operate for fear of violence.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker has claimed that the police in the area had been given a fresh order to shoot anybody who tries to confront them. Though the lawmaker refused to mention the name of the police officer who gave the order, he said the person was a "high ranking officer in the state."

He asked the House to warn the police authority against taking any action that would further affect the already volatile area.