One killed as hoodlums, police clash

• Police parade dismissed officer for alleged rape in Edo
• Man nabbed sexually assaulting three-year-old girl

One person was feared killed after suspected cultists protested in Ketu, Lagos State. Young men numbering over 50 reportedly blocked the Ketu/Mile 12 market axis to protest against the arrest of some of their members allegedly smoking marijuana in the market.

It was alleged that the deceased whose identity was yet to be ascertained, was hit by a stray bullet from policemen sent to disperse the crowd. The rampaging youths in protest vandalised people’s vehicles, smashing windscreens and looting properties. Many others sustained injuries in the melee.

According to a trader, Mohammed Garba, policemen from Ketu Division who arrived at the scene opened fire, which accidentally hit one of the protesters. Garba said the victim died on the spot, adding that the youths carried the body and danced round the neighborhood.

“As a result of the death of their colleague, they dared the police to shoot them and became violent. The problem actually started on Monday night and continued yesterday morning.”

Police spokesman, Chike Oti, denied anyone was killed in the clash, adding that calm had returned to the area. Oti said the cultists got information on the movement of their arrested member from the station to court, and attempted to disrupt it.

He said: “The group came out and blocked the road to be used by the police prosecutor. When passersby saw them, they fled for fear of a possible attack. Policemen from Ketu were immediately moved to the area to disperse the hoodlums. As we speak, 15 suspects have been arrested. They have been moved to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba for further investigation. No casualty was recorded throughout the operation and normalcy have also returned to the place.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State police command has arrested two suspected ritualists, Folake Falade and Emmanuel Gbenga Mosafejo-Ilogbo, after passersby discovered them in a tunnel under the Cele Nicer Bridge in Ijanikin area of Lagos with a decomposing body.

A third suspect who escaped from the tunnel to avoid being arrested was caught by an irate mob that promptly set him ablaze. Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, directed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ijanikin to barricade the scene.

Furthermore, he instructed the DPO to ensure that the body found in the tunnel should not be tempered with, pending the arrival of police forensic experts on Tuesday to examine the body, tunnel and other exhibits found there, for investigations.

Imohimi said it is regrettable that despite the various town-hall meetings he had held to sensitize communities against jungle justice, some people at Olorunshogo community constituted themselves into a mob. He warned that anybody found to have participated in the killing of the yet-to-be-identified man, will be arrested and charged for murder to serve as a warning to others.

In another development, the Edo State police command yesterday paraded a dismissed police corporal, Michael Eriarebhe, who hails from Igueben Local Government Area of the state for alleged rape and armed robbery. According to the police, the suspect has a criminal charge against him in court bothering on alleged rape of a female suspect, aged 17 in custody at Okhoro police division, Benin.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, said Eriarebhe had gone through the normal police disciplinary orderly room trial and was found guilty of such offences and dismissed.

Fielding questions from journalists, the dismissed corporal denied allegation of N5,000 extortion, but admitted that he had carnal knowledge of a 17-year-old female suspect in police detention months ago.

He said: “It was for carnal knowledge of a 17-year-old I was arrested for. That is what they said, but the girl in question is above 17 and has a child for me.”

Meanwhile, residents of Dutsen Kura Gwari area of Minna, Niger State nabbed a 27-year-old man, Usman Adamu, for alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl. The incident occurred at about 9:00a.m. yesterday when the suspect was caught in the act. It was the victim’s screams that alerted neighbours to the uncompleted building.

The victim was taken to the Rayuwa Sexual Assault Referral Centre for examination and treatment, she will be admitted in the centre till she is better. The victim when asked where she was going said she was sent by her parents to buy bread and egg when she was called by Adamu who pretended like he wanted to send her on an errand, then gave her N500 to take off her clothes, which she did.