Lagos CP probes killing of 16 years old boy during protest

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Edgal Imohimi, has ordered investigation into the killing of a 16-year-old boy, Emmanuel Chukwu, allegedly shot by the police.

Chukwu was shot on March 11 when policemen from Ijora Badia Division dispersed protesters to prevent the mob from lynching a suspected female kidnapper.
Police spokesman in Lagos, SP Chike Oti, said that the Command had ordered immediate investigation to clear the air on the issue.

It was reported that the 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by policemen attached to Ijora Badia Division without justification.

Oti said: “On the 11th of March, 2018, a distress call was received that a suspected kidnapper was about being lynched by irate mob at Afolabi Street, Ijora-Badia.

“The police mobilised some patrol teams to rescue the woman under attack. On getting to the scene, the police team discovered that the woman had been stripped, she was helpless and at the verge of imminent death.

“The team braved the odds and rescued the woman from the jaws of death.

“The mob comprising of youths, cult boys and other miscreants who were armed with dangerous weapons stormed the police station and attempted to whisk away the woman who was already in police protective custody.

“They fired sporadically into the police station, throwing stones, petrol bombs and other missiles to overawe the police and forcefully take away the woman whom they accused of kidnapping a yet to be identified person and dispense jungle judgement on her even when the accusation against her had not been established”.

According to Oti, the Police resisted the attempt by the mob to raze the police station, take the woman by force and cart away firearms and ammunition by using the tear gas.

He said that the efforts to repel the surging youth brigands by shooting of tear gas into the air did not have any effect.

“At this point, the DPO and his men were constrained to use their firearms as a matter of last resort and in line with Force Order 237.

“In the ensuing melee, eight of the hoodlums were arrested while others escaped. One locally made pistol with one unexpended and some expended cartridges, cutlasses, 15 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, dagger, charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered from the suspects.

“Furthermore, during the mop up of the area, one of the hoodlums who wore a red shirt with an inscription “Emma bullet”, later identified as Emmanuel Chukwu

‘m’, found with gunshot injury which he sustained during the fracas, was rushed to the Mainland General Hospital where he was confirmed dead.
“The corpse was thereafter deposited at the hospital’s Morgue for preservation and autopsy.

“Sequel to the above, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State has ordered the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department to carry out a full scale investigation into the matter and come up with a detailed report .” the statement read.