8th March, 2020
By Yusuf Muhammed
The Ogun State Police Command, Southwest Nigeria, seems not to be in a hurry to investigate the murder of a 48-year old engineer identified as Olakunle Olaojo who was lynched by a mob on 29 February in Itele area of the state.
A mob of commercial motorcyclists allegedly descended on Olaojo for using his car to knock down a cyclist who sustained injuries in the process.
According to eye witnesses, the case was reported at the Itele police station same day, but rather than go after the killers, those who went to report the case were asked by the police to go and bring the killers themselves.
This led to a protest against the police by residents on March 1 for the failure to apprehend the culprits and shifting the responsibility to civilians to do.
During the protest, one Ibikunle Rilwan Alex was allegedly arrested by the police for loss of one motorcycle without making any effort to arrest the killers of Engineer Olaojo.
When our correspondent visited Itele Police station, the Investigative Police Officer, IPO Sergeant Iyabo, took him before a lady police officer who claimed she bought the motorcycle for a Hausa boy, but denied knowledge of the murder.
When a call was put across to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police , CP Kenneth, he confirmed that some suspects had been arrested and that he had ordered that the case be transferred to his office for further investigation.
A community leader at Itele who craved anonymity queried why the police should abandon their primary duty and delegate civilians to perform it for them.
“How can a serious case of murder be reported to the police and they ignored it and started going after a missing motorcycle”, he queried.
The Ekiti born engineer who was married with 3 children has since been buried according to Islamic rites.