Ambode orders police hunt for Disu’s killers

LAGOS State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday ordered the police to fish out assailants who killed the Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide Investment Company, Tajudeen Disu, in the early hours of Monday. Ambode, who expressed shock and grief over the murder, said the perpetrators must be brought to book.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has said about 10 suspects had been arrested, even as investigation was ongoing. The late Disu was shot by assailants during an official visit to one of the villages within the zone.

Disu was killed during an alleged land scuffle. Although he did not suffer the same fate as Disu, the Chief Security Officer of Dangote Refinery, who was simply identified as Colonel Usman (rtd), was severely injured in the fracas.

The Guardian gathered that the fracas had begun in the morning when the Okunraye Community at the Lekki area sighted some members of staff of the said refinery at the site. Lagos State police command has however arrested no fewer than 12 suspects in connection with the death.

“It was a fight between the community and the Free Zone people. He had come out to calm them down. While he was talking to them, they attacked the MD and he died. They even injured three of our policemen. We are charging the 12 suspects for murder tomorrow.

“I have ordered for the arrest of the Baale of the community. Other communities who want to take laws into their hands should learn a lesson from this,” Owoseni told newsmen.

According to eyewitnesses, the community had stormed the site and demanded for them to vacate the vicinity, noting that the said land was allegedly snatched from them. The deceased had tried to calm frayed nerves, when some hoodlums allegedly hijacked the otherwise peaceful protest and unleashed mayhem in the process.

According to another report, the deceased had called in the police to restore peace, when the policemen shot at the crowd and allegedly killed two people. After regrouping and reinforcing, the community angrily stormed the area and it was in the process that Disu got killed while the company’s CSO was severely injured.

Addressing reporters, the governor said: “We are deeply touched with the loss of our dedicated officers at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Alhaji Tajudeen Disu, who was until his death the arrow head of the Free Trade Zone initiative. He was killed this morning. It really saddens my heart and the heart of all of us because this was somebody that has been dedicated to his duty in the past 10 years.”

Expressing concern over the motives of those behind the killing, Ambode directed Owoseni to ensure that no stone was left unturned in order to determine the events that led to the attack on the deceased.