Juliana Francis
One of the police corporals killed and his corpses taken away by suspected oil vandals yesterday at the Ishawo Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, was said to have married two months ago and his wife expecting their first child.
The deceased policeman, identified as Obioma, attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikorodu branch, is said to be related to the former Lagos State Police Command Spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu.
The late Obioma was among the four policemen killed after suspected oil vandals opened fire on them. The vandals, who spoke in Ijaw language, took the corpses of the slain policemen. They also took their rifles and police van.
Three of the policemen are from Owutu Police Station. One of them was an Inspector and two sergeants. The fourth corpse is that of Obioma, from SARS, Ikorodu. A corporal and a sergeant are presently in hospital.
A police source, attached to the Owutu Police Station, revealed fresh facts about the deadly shootings that took four police lives and left two policemen battling to stay alive at the Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Mushin. The source said that the whole drama started after some SARS men, Ikorodu branch, embarked on an illegal operation. They left their station and without telling their superior officer, went to Ishawo, to arrest pipeline vandals.
The situation went awry after one of the vandals, who were arrested with trucks filled with stolen fuel, refused to pay the N5million the SARS demanded.
It was gathered that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, outraged at the bloody combat, ordered detention of seven men who survived the blood bath.
The mood at SARS, Ikeja and Ikorodu was solemn as the policemen brainstorm on who to pick that would go and break the news of Obioma’s death to his new bride.
Narrating the genesis of the whole shooting, the police source said: “SARS men went to Owutu on illegal operation. They intercepted one of the vandals driving a tanker filled with fuel. They arrested him and demanded for N5m, but he said he didn’t have such an amount of money. They decided to take him to their station. They were however flagged down by policemen from Owutu Police Station. The SARS men introduced themselves, explaining that they had impounded the tanker and driver. The Owutu policemen however demanded for a piece of the action. This led to a heated argument between the two sets of policemen. They were still arguing among themselves when the tanker driver made a call, speaking in Ijaw.”
It was gathered that the policemen thought the driver was calling his friends to come with some amount of money. Less than an hour after the call, a Jeep was sighted, driving towards the scene. The driver told the policemen that the occupants in the Jeep were coming with money.
The excited policemen relaxed and lowered their guards. As soon as the jeep drew nearer, the occupant wind down their windscreens and opened fire on the policemen.
Three died on the spot, two were left writhing in pain and others scampered in different directions. The vandals stormed into Owutu Police Station and killed a police Inspector.
The vandals made away with the corpses. This wouldn’t be the first time vandals would disappear with corpses of slain law enforcement officers and their rifles.
In January 26, 2015, vandals attacked Owutu Police Station, where they killed two policemen and motorcyclist. They also injured several people. The vandals’ carted away four AK47 rifles.
Aside from the two policemen who were killed on the fateful day around 11pm, two members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) were also killed. The corpses of the NSCDC men and police were taken away. Till date, nobody knows where the corpses are.
In May, 2015, four policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti- Pipeline Vandalism Unit were shot death during a clash with vandals at Obadore area of Igando on the outskirts of Lagos metropolis. The corpses of the four policemen were dragged into the creek by the vandals, till date, their bodies had not been recovered. In the Igando attack, the policemen, who were also on illegal duty, demanded N5m bribe from a female. She however refused to pay. She made a call and soon heavy shootings rocked the area.
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