9th June, 2018
Dedeigbo Ayodeji
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two policemen for spraying tear-gas at a resident of Ogudu in Ojota area of the state.
The men were arrested on the orders of the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi following online report that operatives of SARS shot an innocent resident at Chinese town, Ogudu, Ojota.
In a statement released on Saturday, the command explained that the resident identified as Ademuwagun Temitope Solomon was not shot by SARS operatives as reported but was tear-gassed by a neighbourhood police patrol team.
The patrol team was led by Inspector Momoh Sulaiman assisted by Sergeant Monday Emmanuel, both of whom have been detained for trial, according to the statement.
Police report on the incident reads: ”The attention of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP IMOHIMI EDGAL, was drawn to an online news credited to OAKTVOnline on Instagram with the caption “A yet-to-be-identified man has allegedly been shot by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad(SARS) at Chinese town, Ojota area of.. ……”
”Based on this report, the CP Lagos, immediately activated the Command X-Squad section in collaboration with the Divisional Police Officer, Ogudu Division, CSP Gbenga Olorunfemi, to fish out the policemen involved in the matter.
”Their findings revealed that the victim by name, Ademuwagun Temitope Solomon, was not shot by operatives of the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (FSARS) as reported by the online medium but suffered from the inhalation of tear-gas spray a.k.a. pepper spray, occasioned by a neighbourhood police patrol team attached to Area ‘H’ Command, Ogudu, Lagos.
”The infamous patrol team was led by Inspr Momoh Sulaiman assisted by Sgt. Monday Emmanuel. The victim has been revived. However, the investigating team has arrested and detained the policemen involved, on the orders of the Command Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal. Their trial will commence today 09/06/2018 and if found guilty of offence of incivility to a member of the public and unlawful exercise of authority, they could face punishment as severe as dismissal.”