Relatives
of a 25-year-old driver, Aondona Tavershima, who was allegedly killed and
buried in a shallow grave at a beach by a team of mobile policemen attached to
Lekki Residents Associations in Lekki area of Lagos State, have called on
police authorities to bring their brother’s killers to justice.
Tavershima
died last Wednesday when policemen from Mopol 23 Squadron Command, Lagos,
accosted him on Folaoshibo Street, off Emma Abimbo, Lekki, on a bike and opened
fire on him. He reportedly died on the spot.
The
policemen, five in number, were said to have hurriedly taken the deceased for
burial in a shallow grave at Jakande New Kuramo beach.
According to Vanguard, eyewitnesses alerted relatives
of the deceased, who was said to be a native of Benue State.
The
matter, as gathered, was immediately reported at Maroko Police Station and the
Divisional Police Officer mobilized his men to Lekki, arrested the five
officers and exhumed Tavershima’s corpse, which was deposited at a mortuary.
Brother’s
story
One of
Tavershima’s brothers, Tersoo Tavershima, who narrated how he was killed and
buried in a shallow grave by the mobile policemen, said: “My brother is a
driver working here in Lagos and the person he works for travelled abroad.
“I was
not present at the scene of the incident, but was told by eyewitnesses that the
team of mobile policemen attached to Lekki Resident Association, accosted my
brother on a motorbike on Folaoshibo Street, off Emma Abimbo, Lekki.
“They
tried to stop him, but he did not stop and they shot him. He rammed a gate by
that street and the mobile policeman went after him and shot him again. The
owner of the building insisted that the policemen take him away.
“They
took him to New Kuramo Beach, Jakande, paid the Omonile (touts) some
money and buried my brother. News came that my brother had been killed and we
went in search of him.
“A man,
who witnessed my brother’s burial, contacted me on phone and I mobilized some
of my relatives and we went to the beach to search for him. One of our in-laws,
who took part in the search, found the grave.
“We dug a
little and saw my brother’s leg. One of my brothers and I quickly ran to Maroko
Division and insisted on seeing the District Police Officer, DPO.
DPO’s
intervention
“When we
reported the matter, he was furious. He led a team to Lekki and arrested all
the mobile policemen on ground.
“He
brought them to his station and asked them why they killed my brother. The
leader of the team, an Inspector, explained that he shot my brother because he
refused to stop when he asked him to stop.
“The DPO
asked them why they took my brother for burial without bringing him to the
station and the Inspector could not say anything.
“He then
ordered that they be detained and later transferred the case to the State
Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti.
“I am
happy with the way the DPO handled the case, but I am troubled that we may not
get a similar treatment in Panti, because as I speak with you, I have been
informed that the mobile policemen are denying that they buried my brother in
the shallow grave we found his corpse.
“I want
police authorities to ensure that my brother’s killers, whose duty it was to
protect him, are brought to justice.”
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