Tragedy struck at the Ogoja Market,
LASU-Igando Road, Lagos State,
after operatives of the Special Anti-
Robbery Squad shot dead an
undergraduate of a polytechnic in
Edo State, Eldanojie Joseph.The 20-
year-old business administration
student was said to be on a visit to
his cousin, Friday Ojah, who lived
on Alape Street, Iba Ojo, when he
was hit by a stray bullet.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the
operatives were chasing a suspected
Internet fraudster, identified as
Badoo, who had parked his car and
fled upon sighting the officers.
The operatives were said to have
started shooting sporadically.
The Esan, Edo State indigene, who
had reportedly gone out to buy a
canned drink with his cousin, was
hit by a stray bullet.
He was said to have died on the
spot.
Our correspondent was told that the
officers took Joseph’s corpse,
dumped it in the boot of the
suspected fraudster’s car and drove
off.
The cousin, Ojah, told our
correspondent on Thursday that the
police, in order to cover up their
misdeed, said Joseph was a cult
member.
He explained that Joseph had only
arrived in Lagos about three weeks
ago.
He said, “We grew up and attended
the same primary and secondary
schools together. He gained
admission into a polytechnic in Edo
State, while I am still processing my
admission into the same school.
“Around 9.30am on Monday, we
strolled out to buy a can of soft
drink. We were returning home when
we learnt that some policemen were
chasing somebody.
“We decided to go through the back
of the market. As we turned back,
my brother was hit by a bullet in the
head and he fell down immediately.
“As I tried to call for help, I saw that
the policeman that shot him had
aimed his gun at me. I fled the
place immediately.”
He said the officers put the corpse
in the boot of the car left by the
suspected fraudster and drove away.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the
corpse was taken to the SARS
headquarters in Ikeja, from where it
was taken to a morgue.
Our correspondent was told that the
SARS team that conducted the
operation alleged that the victim was
a cult member and he had attempted
to shoot at them when they fired
back.
“But it was all lies. He only had the
canned drink we bought, a phone
charger and a handset on him when
the incident happened. The police
lied to cover up their misdeed,” Ojah
added.
The policemen on the team that
killed the victim were identified as
Lucky, Oganla.
A legal practitioner and family friend
of the victim, Saheed Sanni, decried
the killing, saying the policemen
must be arrested and brought to
book.
He said, “Cases like this, involving
SARS officers, have become rampant
in the state. They kill with impunity
and believe they can always get
away with it. Whereas Section 33 of
the 1999 Constitution protects the
sanctity of human lives and
prescribes punishment for violation
of that sanctity. You cannot just take
anybody’s life without a court order
or judgment. We are taking up the
case and justice must be done.”
The Police Public Relations Officer,
SP Dolapo Badmos, said she had yet
to be briefed on the incident, adding
that she would get back as soon as
the Officer-in-Charge of SARS
briefed her.
She said, “The OC SARS has yet to
brief the command on that issue and
he has been directed to do so. I will
get back as soon as I have the facts
of the case.”
