Police shielding ‘killer-cop’ from prosecution — Osun monarch

The Aragbiji of Iragbiji in Osun state, Oba Abdur-Rasheed Olabomi on Wednesday alleged that the Nigeria Police Force of shielding one of its operatives from prosecution over the murder of Saheed Olabomi.

Olabomi, a cousin of the monarch was allegedly killed by one Sergeant Adamu Garuba in gridlock at the Oke-Oniti area in Osogbo on July 27, 2021, around 5 pm which resulted in a riot in the state capital.

Oba Olabomi, who spoke with journalists on behalf of the family at his palace in Iragbiji, said, despite the report of autopsy that the deceased died as a result of a bullet wound on his head, the police have refused to make the said operative and his cohorts available in court for trial.

The monarch added that “Since the incidence, the Nigeria Police Osun State Command led by Mr Olawale Olokode the Commandant Mopol 39 Mr Sebastian Moorkwap whose Aides are the person who committed the act and especially the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone XI Mr Mukan Joseph Gobum have conspired to sweep the ignoble act of criminality of the personnel under the carpet.

“Good enough, the family insisted that our son be taken to the hospital and Autopsy was conducted by the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo which established the fact that Mr Saheed Olabomi was killed as a result of the injuries he received from the shot fired by Garuba Adamu.

“All efforts at ensuring that Adamu Garuba and others were tried by the police (orderly Room Trial) failed even though our family and members of the public were made to believe that the Police Officer had been dismissed and that he would be prosecuted.

“For more than six months, the suspects were not arraigned. Our family had to seek the taken-over of the matter by the state. Yet, it took several months before the file could be released to the Ministry.

“Even after the release of the file, we have been in court twice, the police personnel were not brought to court despite the service of a court order to produce the suspects on the Commissioner of Police,” the king said.

While alleging that the police in the state are trying to shield the men from prosecution, he said attempts are on top gear to eventually exonerate the trigger-happy cop from the incident. He then appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali and civil society organizations, to assist the family in ensuring that the gruesome murder of Saheed is not swept under the carpet.

Efforts to get police reaction were futile as the Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola declined to pick up calls nor respond to text messages. (Vanguard)