The Nigerian Police has dismissed reports going around that the Police Special Anti Robbery Squad best known as SARS were engaged in some unwholesome act that led to the alleged shooting and death of a young man along the ojota China town area of Lagos.
The news that was widely reported on social media and a short video going viral, saw Nigerians renewing their call for a total ban on SARS after watching the video. But the police after much investigation on the alleged shooting and killing, said the man in the video was never shot nor was he killed but was only teargassed and he did not die.
The Lagos State Public Relation Officer Dolapo Badmos while reacting to the news, took to her social media page to release this statement and how shocked she was initially on learning about the incident. She said:
I got hundreds of tags about this video on Instablog9ja yesterday. I honestly was shocked and scared to bone marrow I quickly called the attention of the Commissioner of police Lagos command CP Ihimohi Edgar who quickly went online and discovered okatv and many online media has picked it. He moved into action. This young man was not fell by a bullet but by teargas inhaled. Thankfully he did not die! The policemen are currently under investigation. The following is the press release by the command.
Image: Lagos PPRO Badmos (via-IG/opetodolapo)
Press release
Policemen involved in the ojota Chinese town saga arrested and detained
The attention of the commissioner of police Lagos commands CP Imohi. I Edgar was drawn to an online news created to oktvonline on Instagram with the caption “A yet to be identified man has been allegedly been shot by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad at Chinese town area of ….” Based on this report the CP Lagos command immediately activated the command X squad section in collaboration with the divisional police officer, Ogudu division, CSP Gbenga Olorunfemi to fish out the men involved in the matter.
This findings revealed the victim by name Ademuwagun Temitop Solomon was not shot by the operatives of Special Anti Robbery Squad as reported by the online media, but suffered inhalation from tear gas spray a.k.a pepper spray occasioned by a neighbourhood police patrol team attached to Area-H ojodu Lagos. The infamous patrol team was led by Inspector Momoh Suilaman, assisted by Sgt. Sunday Emmanuel. The victim has been revived.
However, the investigation team had arrested and detained policemen involved on the order of the Command Commissioner of police Imohimi Edgar. Their trial will commence today 09/06/2018 and if found equity of this incivility to any member of the public and unlawful exercise of authority they could face severe punishment as dismissal.
