Police kill one in Lagos, injure another

Olalekan Olabulo, Lagos - 01.06.2008

There was commotion in the Egbeda area of Lagos State on Saturday morning as a driver was shot dead by a police officer while another occupant in the driver's vehicle also received bullet wounds.

The incident led to chaos and confusion as angry mob, who attempted to protest to the Idimu Divisional Police Station, were forced to retreat by anti-riot policemen.

Meanwhile, the image- maker of the state police command, Frank Mba, while speaking with the Sunday Tribune, though claimed not to have been officially briefed on the incident, confirmed the killing.

Mba, however, stated that the shooting was an attempt by the policeman to stop the deceased who evaded a police stop and search exercise.

The Sunday Tribune gathered that the deceased, Semiu Muritala , a 40-year-old, who was into car hire business at the airport, had taken a passenger to the airport and was returning when the incident occurred.

The deceased was said to have on return from the airport, took some boys around his residence at 84 Okunola Street, Egbeda, to a football field around the area and was returning with one Ganiu Badmus when the incident occurred.

A source at the scene of the incident, who pleaded anonymity, informed the Sunday Tribune that the deceased driver, on sighting policemen at a checkpoint ,had tried to evade them when one of the policemen mounted a bike and trailed him to where he was shot.