A police officer who killed a man during an argument has begged for forgiveness from the court as he said he only wanted to scare the victim.
A trigger-happy police sergeant, Ologunowa Ojo, has been remanded by an Ebute-Meta Magistrates Court for allegedly killing a 45-year-old man, Taiye Akande.
According to reports, Ojo shot the victim dead last Wednesday around 7pm in the Shapati, Ajah area of Lagos State during an argument. Ojo who was attached to the Special Protection Unit, Oduduwa, Ikeja, was said to be guarding a company dealing in motorcycles in the area.
On the fateful day, Akande had a heated argument with the police sergeant after he (Akande) allegedly sat on the company’s fence. He died at the Akodo General Hospital, Akodo, after the policeman shot him in the buttocks from close range as the argument intensified.
The police authorities immediately set up an orderly room trial for the suspect, leading to his dismissal from the force.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos said it was an accidental discharge. He said: “On February 3, 2016, at about 7.30pm, Sergeant Ologunowa Ojo, attached to the Special Protection Unit, Ikeja, and posted on duty to Frajend Investment Nigeria Limited, Shapati Akodo, accidentally shot one Taiye Akande, a native of Ibadan in Oyo State.
“The victim was rushed to the Akodo General Hospital, Akodo, where he later died. The policeman in question has been arrested, tried in an orderly room and subsequently dismissed from the force.”
However, Ojo has begged for help as he said it was never his intention to kill the victim as he only wanted to scare him.
He said, “I was on duty that day and the owner of the building had instructed that he did not want anybody to sit on his fence.
“On that day, I got into an argument with some residents, and as a security man, I brought out my gun to scare them off. But one of them (Akande), engaged me in a fight and started dragging the gun with me. Suddenly, the gun discharged and hit him in the buttocks.”
He was, however, arraigned on one count of murder.
A remand warrant attached to the charge sheet indicated that he had confessed to the crime, was arrested with the weapon, and was identified by witnesses.
The charge read, “That you, Ologunowa Ojo, on February 3, 2016, at about 7.30pm, at Shapati area, Elemoro, Ajah, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did kill one Taiye Akande, aged 45, by shooting him with an AK-47 rifle on his buttocks, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The defendant’s plea was not taken for the offence due to the nature of the crime. The police prosecutor, G. Agoi, applied for his remand in prison pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The magistrate, Olajuwon, ruled that Ojo should be remanded pending the release of the legal advice.
The case was adjourned till March 9, 2016, for advice.