Soldiers Shoot Police Officers, Station Guard Over Seizure Of Motorcycle

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Two soldiers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Police Sergeant in Ilemba Hausa Division, Ojo area of Lagos, after they shot sporadically over the seizure of motorcycle during the restriction over Covid-19.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the angry soldiers invaded the station, fired gun shots and succeeded in killing the Station Guard, Sergeant Onalaja Onajide, after the DPO refused to release the motorcycle.
The suspects Kehinde Elijah, 45 and Frank Joseph Ezeh, are currently in Police custody undergoing interrogation over the murder of the late Olajide.
This was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, who confirmed that the suspects are in custody undergoing interrogation.
He said that on 16th May, 2020, at about 1500 hours, detectives from Ilemba Hausa Police Station arrested one Kehinde Elijah “m”  45 of Ibiyeye Street, Whitehouse Bus Stop, Okokomaiko. He said he was among three suspects on Police wanted list for violent crimes. Four pairs of military fatigues were recovered from his house. He claimed to have deserted the Military in 2015 when he was deployed to the North East to fight insurgency. He has been in Ojo area since then, where he has been terrorizing members of the public.
DSP Elkana explained that the second suspect, Ezeh Frank Joseph “m” was arrested in his apartment at Imude Pako Area, Era road, Ajangbadi on 17th May, 2020, at about 0600 hours, who claimed to have deserted the Military while undergoing basic Military training. They were arrested in respect of the shooting and killing of Police Sergeant Onalaja Onajide attached to Ilemba Hausa Division.
“The shooting incident happened on 10th May, 2020, at about 2140hours, when unknown gunmen fired gunshots at the Divisional Police Officer, Ilemba Hausa and the Station Guard, Sergeant Onalaja Onajide. The DPO survived the gunshots but the Station Guard died from the pellets wound. Investigation led to the arrest of the two.”
Elkana said that the first suspect was earlier at the Station to solicit the release of his motorcycle which was impounded by the Police for violating the ban on the use of commercial motorcycles. Not happy with the DPO’s refusal to release the motorcycle to him, he decided to launch the deadly attack.
The Police spokesman said that investigation is ongoing and the suspects will soon be charged to Court for murder which attracts life imprisonment if they are tried and found guilty before the Court.