File photo
Jelili Bakare, a resident of Ajiran in the Ajah area of Lagos State, has been killed.
The man was shot dead by a police inspector, Jonathan Company, because he demanded to know why the policeman wanted to search him, according to Sunday PUNCH.
Bakare was reportedly relaxing at Quinox Lounge in Sangotedo, Ajah, on Tuesday, March 18, when Company who was on duty in the area shot him dead during an argument.
The trigger-happy cop was said to have been arrested by policemen at the Ogombo division and taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.
A reliable police source who is privy to investigation into the incident told our correspondent on Saturday that Company had asked Bakare to submit himself for a search and got enraged when the latter demanded explanation on the directive.
The source said, “He said he asked the victim to surrender for a search at the lounge. It sounded somehow to the man and he asked questions. In the process, he (Company) fired him. There was no serious argument between them.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, and some senior officers have paid a condolence visit to the late Bakare’s family.
The police spokesperson in the state, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Saturday said the CP assured the family that the killer policeman would be brought to justice.
He said, “The CP was received by the Olori Ebi (family head) of the Bakare family in Ajiranland, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Chief Yekini Olawale, the mother, wives and children of the deceased. The team also paid a visit to the Oba of Ajiranland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Tijani Akinloye, in his palace and expressed its heartfelt condolences on the demise of one of his subjects.
“The incident occurred at Quinox Lounge in the Sangotedo area of Lagos State, around 11.30pm when the policeman attached to the Mounted Troop, Force Animal Branch of the Nigeria Police had an argument with the deceased and shot him dead.
“Immediately after the incident, the Inspector fled but was eventually arrested by the Divisional Police Officer, Ogombo Division. The suspect, Jonathan Company, has been moved to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for proper investigation on the order of the Commissioner of Police. The police boss had also ordered that the inspector be tried in orderly room and charged in no time as the family of the deceased deserves justice on the matter.”