Policeman enforcing Okada ban shoots guard in Lagos

A security guard, Koleosho Abayomi, has demanded justice after a policeman allegedly shot him in his thigh at the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II, in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the cop, alongside three colleagues, all attached to the Ogombo Police Station, stormed the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II to enforce the government ban on motorcycle operations on the estate when the incident happened.

Abayomi, while speaking to our correspondent, said following the ban, some commercial motorcyclists were allowed to operate on the estate to ease the movement of residents, adding that when the policemen got to the gate, one of his colleagues, Friday, stopped their patrol vehicle.

Angered by the action, Abayomi said the policemen got down from the vehicle to challenge the security guard for stopping them.

He said when the situation was getting out of hand, he intervened.

The 49-year-old said during the intervention, one of the policemen shot him.

He said, “Since the ban on Okada in Lagos State, the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II registered its own motorcycles that operated within the estate.

“The motorcycles do not go out of the estate to operate. The measure was in place to ease the movement of residents in the estate. But since the ban on Okada operations in the state, the police at the Ogombo division usually come into the estate to raid motorcyclists.

“These motorcyclists have their jackets with identification numbers, so when the complaint got to us, we reported to the chairman of the estate, but it took time before he reported the case to the DPO to caution his men since the motorcyclists don’t operate outside the estate.

“So, the policemen kept coming. When their presence could no longer be tolerated, the chairman instructed us to always ask their mission and that was what caused the problem that day.

“As a scheme, we paid the bill for his discharge from the hospital when the police didn’t come. It was a sad incident.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said he would get back to our correspondent.

He had yet to do so as of the time this report was filed.