Killer Cop on Distress Call Murders Victim

Lagos PRO, Braide

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Twenty-eight years of service to the Nigerian Police by Inspector Ibrahim Abdullahi went down the drain last week Thursday when he shot a man dead in cold blood at Ile-Epo bus stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta Road.

The suspect had until his act been attached to Elere Police Division. Abdullahi had allegedly used his official riffle to kill the victim after he was called in by a yet-to-be identified complainant on a distress call.

It was gathered that the complainant had been having issues with the deceased who had seized his car tyres and had approached Inspector Ibrahim to help secure the release of the tyres.

Although the reason for seizing the tyres are still unclear,  it was gathered that when the inspector got to the deceased's place, an argument ensued and Inspector Ibrahim pulled the trigger on the deceased.

Eyewitness accounts said the deceased died in a pool of his own blood before help could come as everybody had first of all scampered to safety to avoid being victims too.

Although he confirmed the incident, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Umar Manko, weekend said the killer Inspector has been arrested and kept in detention pending 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 went for a distress call, but later committed the crime under unprofessional circumstance.

Manko who stated that the shooting was an accidental discharge, added that the Inspector did not put on his rifle safety catch.

 He explained that while the argument ensued between the parties involved, the rifle fell from the Inspector’s hand, hit the ground and immediately discharged, killing the deceased.

But 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 charged for murder. He will  undergo an orderly room trial and the command would make public the report of the trial."