A Police sergeant in Rivers State has killed a staff of Onne-based Intels over demand for ‘bail money’, despite police authorities saying ‘bail is free’.
The trigger-happy cop was said to be attached to Elelewon Police Divisional headquarters at Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State.
His victim was Abiodun Jimoh from Kwara state.
Ismail Jimoh, brother to Abiodun said police officers on a patrol stopped him and his brother while they were on motorbike going back to the house on Friday 18 December 2020.
He said the police officers searched them and saw nothing incriminating.
They only had on them, their ID cards and iPhone and other handsets.
He said one of the police officers insisted on taking them to the Police station at Elelenwo.
The brothers followed them.
Mr Ismail said he rode on the motorbike and stayed in front, while his brother was inside the Police patrol van as they headed to the station.
When they reached the station, one of the Police officers asked them to bail themselves.
Ismail said his brother pleaded with the officer that they had only N1,500 left.
According to Ismail, other Police officers told the officer who shot his brother to let them go, since nothing incriminating was found on them.
But the officer refused.
Ismail said as the police sergeant began to beat his brother in front of the Police station, he heard two gunshots.
When he turned back, his brother was lying on the floor, in pains.
According to Ismail, he and the other Police Officers took his brother to three different hospitals, but they declined attending to him.
On their way to University of Port Harcourt Hospital,UPTH, the officers drove so recklessly that he fell out from the back of the patrol van.
He was seriously injured.
He further alleged that the Police officers did not wait to check on him, they just drove off with his brother.
He noted that it was in the morning of 19 December, when he went back to the Elelewon station, with his brother’s wife, that they learned the brother died.
Ismail called on well meaning Nigerians to ensure justice is done on the matter.
Azeezat Omolara Jimoh, wife of Abiodun Jimoh wept uncontrollably while speaking to Journalists.
She expressed shock that her husband was killed for no reason .
She called on the Rivers State Government, the Police authorities in the state and well meaning Nigerians to come to their aide.
A human rights activist, Prince Wiro, expressed worry at the prevailing trend of policemen killing innocent citizens.
Wiro called on the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, to immediately open an investigation into the incident with a view to prosecuting any of his officers found culpable.
Abiodun Jimoh was a staff of INTELS in Onne, Eleme Local Government area of Rivers State.
He is survived by his wife and three Children aged six,four and one year.
Commissioner of Police, Joseph G. Mukan while confirming the tragic incident, condemned in the strongest terms, the killing of Abiodun Jimoh by a Police Sergeant.
In a press Statement, SP Nnamdi Omoni the spokesman of the Rivers Police Command said: “The sad incident happened at the station, where the Sergeant without justification shot the victim, Abiodun Jimoh who was immediately rushed to the hospital but later died.
“His remains have been deposited in the Mortuary”.
He said the incident is being investigated and the outcome will be communicated to the public.
Meanwhile the Police Sergeant who carried out the dastardly act is in custody for debriefing and psychological evaluation.
His Orderly Room Trial will commence in earnest, for possible arraignment.
Last week ago, a tricycle driver in Rukpokwu in Obio-Akpor LGA was shot by one Police Inspector Christopher Obah for refusing to give him N100 bribe.
The action sparked off protests members of Tricycle Driver Union.
About four more persons died from wounds sustained from gunshots fired by Policemen trying to disperse the protesters.
Police Commissioner Mukan has vowed that any Policeman under his watch found to use firearms recklessly would bear the full wrath of the law.
“Firearms are to protect the lives and properties of innocent citizens, not to kill them”, Mukan said on live Television while reacting to the killing of the Tricycle Driver in Rukpokwu Community.
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