Police Dismiss Six Officers Over Armed Robbery

The Lagos State Police Command said six policemen arrested for robbery by operatives of the X-Squad, Lagos Command have been dismissed from the force.
This is as the Command disclosed that 30 persons were arrested for their alleged involvement in the lynching of some people under the guise that they were ritualists.
At a briefing on Monday,the Lagos State,  Fatai Owoswni Mr Fatai owoseni disclosed that  two destitutes were last Friday set ablaze at Ile-Zik area of the old Lagos-Abeokuta expressway by an angry mob who mistook them to be ritualists.
Parading the suspects at the police officers mess, Ikeja, Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoswni, said that four policemen were also arrested for alleged misconducts.
He said that three were arrested for extortion and one for defilement.
.Owoseni, who paraded the suspects at Police Officers Mess, Ikeja ,said the 30 suspects arrested for jungle justice were arrested in three scenes of crime where some suspected kidnappers were killed and set ablaze.
The CP said:”These faces are those who put laws into their hands. They acted with impunity. They acted in an uncivilized manner to administer jungle justice to people suspected to be kidnappers. They were arrested in three different places .Ojokoro on Lagos Abeokuta Road, Ille-zik on Agege Motor Road etc.
“They were warned to leave the scenes, but they refused to leave, even when the police were trying to disperse them, they attacked and injured some policemen. We arrested them and we will charge them to Court for part disturbances of public and wounding of policemen.
“As we charge them to the court, it will serve as deterrent to others. We want to use this opportunity to warn that the police and other security agencies will not fold their arms and watch people carry out jungle justice on people. The people, you are killing maybe innocent. We want to passionately appeal to public  to report any suspicious place, they see as hideouts for suspected ritualists’ den or kidnappers’ den to the police or call our emergency numbers, rather than taking laws into their hands.
“The seven suspects arrested at Ajala Area, have denied that they were not involved in kidnapping, but, they were possession of charms and other fetish items. We have evidence to charge them to court. We are charging them of criminal possession charms. The prosecution of the suspects will not be successful, if the members of the public don’t come out to give evidences, we will not prosecute the suspects properly.
On the policemen arrested for different offences, he said “Two policemen were arrested for consistently extorting,  money from innocent youths, accusing them of involving in advance fee fraud” Yahoo Yahoo “.The Policemen would take the youths to ATM where they collect money from them. They will be charged for armed robbery and demanding with menaces .They will be charged for armed robbery as they were in possession of fire arms during the extortion. Two other will be charged for attempted murder of on a housewife. They fired the woman at the Ajao Estate. Two others will be charged for defilement”
He said the punishment would serve as deterrent to other police officers.
He said the police arrested 24 armed robbery suspects, 19 suspected cultists, three kidnappers within one month.
He said two AK 47, 10 deferent weapons, 16 vehicles and assorted charms were recovered from the suspect.
One of the suspects arrested for jungle justice Tope Adeboye denied that he was involved in jungle justice :”I was arrested on my was to my Tailor’s shop .I wanted to pay for the suit I wanted to wear to my friend’s wedding. I am not a criminal. I did not even know that somebody was killed. I was going on my when I was picked. I want the Police to look into my case, because, I am innocent”.

 Nkpemenyie Mcdominic,  Lagos