1st April, 2021
The Eti-Osa Lawyers’ Forum has formally reacted to the extrajudicial murder of Mr Kayode Bakare at Quinox Lounge by one Inspector Jonathan who was allegedly drunk at the time of the incident.
In a statement issued by the vice-chairlady Eti-Osa lawyers’ forum and chairlady human rights committee, Abiye Tam-George, the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, has been urged to to take decisive action towards forestalling the reoccurrence of this sort of tragedy in any part of Nigeria.
The forum also appealed to the force to reassure Nigerians that their welfare is paramount and top priority for the men of the Nigerian Police who bear arms to protect them.
The statement reads in part, “We received with deep grief the sorrowful news of the loss of a healthy and promising Nigerian Citizen whose life was cut short prematurely by the reckless actions of a Nigerian Police Inspector.
“We are informed from eyewitness accounts that on Thursday the 18th of March, 2021, the Perpetrator, (Inspector Jonathan) of the Nigerian Police fatally shot the deceased, Mr. Kayode Bakare at the Quinox Hotel at Thera/Tedo CDA (Peace Zone), Sangotedo, Eti-Osa.
“Eyewitnesses confirmed that the tragic incident followed after a brief altercation between the deceased and the Perpetrator who was allegedly drunk.
“Preliminary investigations point to the fact that the Perpetrator fired sporadic gunshots at close range at the deceased, while other persons fled the scene in terror, the Perpetrator attempted leaving the scene of the crime, while friends and eyewitnesses tried to evacuate the deceased to a nearby hospital in a vehicle.
“However, the Perpetrator returned and again fired repeated gunshots. This made the friends and eyewitnesses abandon the vehicle with the deceased inside to save their lives.
“The Perpetrator entered the car and in the course of his confused manoeuvring, drove into a ditch. A second attempt was made by eyewitnesses to evacuate the deceased to a nearby hospital, but he was unfortunately pronounced dead on arrival.
“Eti-Osa Lawyers’ Forum, Human Rights Committee was also represented at the meeting called by the Police at Quinox Lounge, venue of the shooting of Mr. Bakare, in attendance at the meeting were Police Officers from SCID, Panti, the elder brother to the deceased Mr. Mutiu Bakare, the Chairman of the Estate Association and some others.
“The Police conducted an on the spot investigation and it was established that the erring Policeman used his firearms unlawfully and in the process killed and put in danger the lives of many others, and then proceeded to try and depart the venue in a Toyota Tundra pickup vehicle, but got stuck in the gutter.
“While the matter is still being investigated and only our legal system can make a pronouncement as to the guilt or innocence of the perpetrator, as an organization, we condemn in the strongest of terms the unruly behavior of officers of the Nigerian Police, like the perpetrator who misuse their office and privilege of ammunition, to attack the same innocent citizens they swore to protect in an unprovoked and unprofessional manner.
“This is a tragedy, one too many and we are committed as an organization to ensuring that the deceased and his family gets justice and some level of closure.
“We implore the Inspector General of Police to take decisive action towards forestalling the reoccurrence of this sort of tragedy in any part of Nigeria and reassuring Nigerians that their welfare is paramount and top priority for the men of the Nigerian Police who bear arms to protect them.”
It will be recalled that the Lagos state commissioner of police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, and his team visited the family of late Kayode Bakare on Saturday to commiserate with them and promised that justice will be served in the case.
Mr. Odumosu who also visited the Ojomu of Ajiranland, HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye said the trigger-happy Inspector has been arrested and undergoing orderly room trial in order to serve as a deterrent.