Police accuse DSS of shielding murder suspects

Ekiti State Police Command yesterday accused the Department of State Security (SSS) of shielding its men that murdered a policeman and shot another in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday.

Two policemen, Sergeant Sylvester Malik and Corporal Mough Tergu, from the Special Protection Unit, Lokoja, Kogi State, were said to have been shot within the premises of the DSS office in Ado Ekiti after engaging in hot argument over attempt to disarm them before entering, which they allegedly resisted.

The victims were said to have escorted the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr Femi Thomas to DSS’s command in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday.

During the altercation, a source said,  the DSS operatives allegedly  opened fire on the policemen and one of them was reported to have died on the spot and the other survivor  is now on the danger list in one of the undisclosed hospitals  in the State.

The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Alberto Adeyemi, who said the policeman was murdered in cold blood, accused the DSS of shielding the suspect who fired the shot.

“In fact, the DSS is shielding the suspect and we are still waiting for them to hand him over to us. The two policemen were fired and one of them pretended as if he had died and he was hearing all their conversations.

“Is there any law in the land that says one should be killed for escorting someone to a barrack or Command base?

“Looking at it from professional angle, dropping of arms is even unprofessional. The DSS alleged that the victims refused to be disarmed and they had to struggle with them and claimed that one of them was injured in the process. We are waiting for them to produce the injured to confirm their claims”, he said

He said the Police Commissioner, Mr Etop James was in Abuja to attend a meeting called by the Inspector General of Police , Mr Solomon Arase with state commissioners.

When The Guardian visited the DSS base in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, the DSS director, Mr Duke Fubara was said to have gone for a security meeting with Governor Ayodele Fayose .