Policeman to hang over cocoa merchant’s murder
From Niyi Bello, AkureAN Akure High Court, in what the trial judge described as “a notorious and most disturbing trend,” has sentenced a middle-aged policeman to death for killing a cocoa merchant over refusal of the victim to part with N20 at a check-point in September 2004.
The policeman, Imoniche Ojeide, who had earlier been dismissed by police authorities because of the incident, was ordered to be hanged by Justice Oluwole Fagbe after a four-year trial during which four prosecution witnesses were called.
In the case filed against Ojeide by the state in 2005, he was arraigned on a one-count charge of murder of one Alexandra Aroloye at a check-point in the Yaba area of Idanre when his (Ojeide) request for a N20 bribe was refused by the cocoa merchant.
The victim’s friend, Akinseye Adewole, who was at the scene of the murder, told the court as the first prosecution witness that himself and Aroloye were on a motorcycle on September 18, 2004 on their way from a client from whom they had collected N100, 000, when they were stopped by Ojeide and another policeman at a check-point.
He told the court that the policemen requested that they should pay N20 for them to be allowed to go because the motorcycle on which they were riding had no number plate, and that their attempt to explain the situation and their readiness to follow the cops to the station were rebuffed by the policemen who insisted on taking the bribe.
The witness said after several moments of delay when the policemen refused to allow them to go, they decided to leave the scene. This infuriated Ojeide who pulled out his gun, cock it and shot Aroloye at the back of his neck. The victim died instantly.
An expert in morbid anatomy, Dr. Olu Ajewole, who was the fourth prosecution witness, told the court that he performed the autopsy on the deceased and that his findings revealed that the victim was killed as a result of a wound of about 1.5 mm in diameter, which destroyed the neck spine due to a gun shot at close range.
But in what the court regarded as a “cooked up story,” Ojeide said the victim died as a result of accidental discharge when he attempted to seize his rifle and run away and that the trigger of the gun was accidentally pulled in the scuffle that ensued, stressing that there was no demand for bribe by him.
In delivering the judgment, the judge referred to the opinion of the Supreme Court in Adekunle vs State 2006, NWLR where the apex court said: “It is becoming very notorious and most disturbing these days when policemen use guns purchased for them with public money and meant for the protection of the citizenry to mow down innocent citizens of this country with reckless abandon and in each case the aggressor policeman is heard to say and rely on ‘accidental discharge.’
On the defence of the accused policeman by his counsel, the judge said “even if the story was correct, would it not be recklessness on the part of the accused to be struggling with another person for the possession of a loaded gun in a violent manner?”
In his ruling, which he said would serve as deterrents to other trigger-happy policemen, the judge said: “Whatever is the outcome of the struggle, the accused should be responsible for its consequences.
“I suppose that when a gun is properly locked, stray bullets and accidental discharge syndrome will not occur.
“Invariably, accidental discharge always occur when some of the drivers are unwilling or refuse to pay the N20 or such money being extorted by the police at every check point and at very short distances.”
He continued: “Unless the courts make it abundantly clear to our policemen that never again will such plea or defence be available to any of them accused of murder, Nigerians will continuously be sprayed with bullets from the police who hide on the plea ‘he was killed by stray bullets or accidental discharge.”
There is nothing within the Nigerian Police constitution that makes an officer responsible for the bullets in his weapon. They can just fire at will, and yet we are not in Iraq.
From threatening ordinary people, to using it(guns) to extort money on the highways and at police stations, only God can deliver us. As I write this, I remember the face of the man whose talk inspired me to write this other post.
There is a devil in their guns that makes them feel they are all in all. Ori won ti 4kasibe. Sanitization is not enough for the Nigerian Police. A lot of these peeps do not deserve to wear the uniform.
Posted on March 26, 2009
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