Colleagues of the suspected killer of the Lagos soccer fan, Kolade Johnson, wore long faces when The Point visited the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, situated at Charlie Boy bus stop, Gbagada, in the Lagos metropolis.
The undercover correspondent, while trying to get the views of the police officers and men attached to the unit over the alleged shooting to death of Kolade Johnson by their colleague, Inspector Ogunyemi Olalekan a.k.a Eko, gathered that the cops were not happy over the incident because the officer in charge of the unit, CSP Uduak Udom, had warned the police officers and men against the misuse of firearms.
We know it was a mistake but why should he forget so soon the lecture we had just on Friday. Our oga told us never to shoot in the midst of a crowd. Don’t open fire in a residential area because the bullet could penetrate the wall of a building and kill an innocent person
Olalekan was said to be the commander of the team, which he led to Idi-Mangoro bus stop area, Onipetesi, where he allegedly shot into the air and the stray bullet hit Kolade, killing him instantly as he was watching soccer at a viewing centre.
The killer’s colleagues said Udom, while delivering a lecture to them on Friday, reminded them that it would be better for 1000 suspected armed robbers to escape instead of killing one innocent person..
They said when they heard that it was Inspector ‘Eko’ that fired the shot that killed the football fan, they were shocked because they knew him to be an intelligent, brave and hardworking officer.
According to one of the police inspectors attached to the unit, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Inspector Olalekan “was one of the hard working , intelligent and brave officers we have in this unit. He is the commander of his team. We are still wondering why and how he would commit such a fatal blunder. We know it was a mistake but why should he forget so soon the lecture we had just on Friday. Our oga told us never to shoot in the midst of a crowd. Don’t open fire in a residential area because the bullet could penetrate the wall of a building and kill an innocent person,” the inspector said.
A police sergeant said he could not believe that Inspector ‘Eko’ made such a mistake. “Upon what our oga told us in the lecture. He was almost pleading with us, as if he had the premonition that one of us would dent the image of the Anti- Cultism Unit. He warned us against joking with our rifles. He said we should always calm down. Reason before you react. He said we should not be carried away about what the civilians would say to us when they see us patrolling. Control your anger. Be disciplined. Never put your rifle on random. Always check your rifle very well before leaving. That someone provoked you and you fired at the person is not an excuse. He also said that a gun shot into the air could lead to a fatal incident. The bullet could still kill as it descended. This incident occurred just 48 hours after our officer in charge delivered this lecture. Naturally our officer is very unhappy now. He warned us against the misuse of arms and this problem occurred,”
he said.
Meanwhile, the killer cop, Inspector Olalekan, has been dismissed by the police after an orderly room trial found him guilty as charged.
The police authority, according to the new Police Public Relations Officer, DSR Bala Elkana, after dismissing Olalekan also said that the case had been transferred to the Special Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos. Elkana said the killer cop would face prosecution without
delay.
It would be recalled that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Zubairu Mu’azu, visited the family of the deceased at their residence on Beco Street, Onipetesi area, Dopemu, to console the family. Mu’azu also prayed with the family at the residence.
All efforts made to see the officer in charge of the Anti-Cultism Unit , CSP Uduak Udom, proved abortive. He was said to be very busy. His could also not be reached on his mobile
phone.
