More info have emerged on how officers of the Nigerian police attached to the Lagos State Task Force, on Saturday, October 24, killed a 20-yr-old journalist, Pelumi Onifade. His body become dumped on the mortuary of the state’s trendy sanatorium, Ikorodu.
Mr Onifade, a two hundred-level pupil of the Department of History, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, was an intern with GboahTV, a web television.
On the fateful day, he turned into said to have joined one in all his colleagues to cover an tried housebreaking by way of hoodlums at a government facility at Abattoir, Oko Oba vicinity of Agege.
But the cops, who were drafted to the scene, engaged the hoodlums with firearms, injuring a number of them, and arresting a few.
Mr Onifade’s colleague, whose identification changed into now not given for protection reasons, informed the television station control that he saw his colleague, who become already shot, as he changed into dragged into the police van alongside others.
“He became shot despite the professional jacket he wore. His colleague even approached the policemen that Onifade become his colleague and showed them his personal identification card, a camera and other gadgets. But instead of paying attention to him, they threatened to shoot him and got him arrested too,” a member of the station’s control told PREMIUM TIMES.
Following the taking pictures of protesters in opposition to police brutality on Tuesday, October 20, on the Lekki tollgate, widespread violence and looting had damaged out throughout the country with hoodlums taking gain to loot each private and public properties.
How police deceived us –Witness
According to some other source, as quickly because the television control acquired the facts it sprang into movement, and combed anywhere looking for the younger guy who become defined as a conscientious firstborn and breadwinner of a circle of relatives of five.
Mr Onifade’s father was said to have been involved in an accident which partly crippled him and made it tough for him to work.
“His mum facilitates caterers to cook dinner at events. So things are a bit tough for the family however the young Onifade had been away from bed. His two younger sisters are still in secondary faculty,” the supply defined.
The supply brought that the hunt crew visited hospitals, police stations, prisons and specifically, the taskforce command positioned inside the Bolade area of Oshodi.
The source stated; “A thorough seek changed into carried out from police stations to prisons and all over Lagos State for 4 days (Saturday, October 24 to Tuesday, 27), and then a ‘Missing Person’ photo changed into shared throughout all social media systems to aid his search. That equal evening of Tuesday October 27, an officer of the task pressure known as, pronouncing he noticed the publish, and agreed to fulfill us on Wednesday, October 28, on the state headquarters, Ikeja.
“At the meeting, the officer that led the squad said they arrested 5 humans at abattoir in Agege, but that one person died. He stated they already took the corpse to a mortuary in Ikorodu. They scheduled a meeting for Thursday to verify if his call become on the list of these arrested, and that if now not, we would observe them to the mortuary at Ikorodu to affirm. But due to the general public holiday on Thursday the appointment changed into rescheduled for Friday. On Friday morning we were given to Ikorodu, and behold, it was Pelumi Onifade’s corpse that we noticed.”
Speaking at the telephone with our reporter, a co-proprietor of the television station, Joba Bamiro, showed the development. He, but, declined further comment on the matter, announcing the organisation’s management was now not prepared to speak “for now.”
A pastor at Faith Christ Church, close to Abule Egba, in which the late journalist attended, said a proper complaint has been lodged in opposition to the guys of the undertaking force on the police headquarters in Lagos.
The pastor, who additionally declined to provide his name, stated everybody involved in the be counted has determined to hold their identities mystery for worry of possible assaults through the police.
He said; “We had been we with the police the day past to make an authentic grievance. They promised to analyze the matter and get lower back to us.
“We said post-mortem must be finished and we’ve additionally placed it to them that police that we're writing the IG, and the governor. They lied to us till we observed his corpse in Ikorodu. They killed him on the abattoir and we observed his corpse in Ikorodu. They have a serious case on their neck.”
Police avoid inquiries
Since the deceased changed into declared lacking, PREMIUM TIMES had inquired from applicable police authorities however none gave any facts.
The commandant of the taskforce, a deputy superintendent of police, Olayinka Egbeyemi, informed our reporter on October 28 that only the country’s police public members of the family officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, could comment on the problem.
However, constant messages searching for info of the whereabouts of the past due journalist had been unanswered through the PPRO.
Out of the many questions concerning police activities in the state that have been despatched to Mr Adejobi with the aid of our reporter on October 28 thru his WhatsAPP, most effective the one involving the whereabouts of the deceased turned into left unanswered.
On Monday nighttime, any other message become despatched to Mr Adejobi to clarify the allegation that the deceased changed into killed by way of the police, and despite evidence that he study the message, there was but no response.
Meanwhile, when known as at the cellphone on Tuesday morning, the spokesperson for the assignment pressure said he may want to simplest refer PREMIUM TIMES to Mr Adejobi for the appropriate response.
“Please, I will have to refer you to the PPRO for a reaction in this count number,” Mr Adebayo said.
Demand for justice
Meanwhile, a declaration circulated on social media by means of buddies and colleagues of the overdue Mr Onifade has called on suitable government to make certain that justice is served.
They stated the young man turned into the hope of the circle of relatives, and that slicing his lifestyles quick may be too devastating for an bad father, and a struggling family.
A reproduction of the declaration, which became made available to PREMIUM TIMES, reads in part; “We aren't against the police, police reform is a combat on this usa. At age 20, Pelumi Onifade become the breadwinner of his family and a responsible member of the men’ brigade in his church.
“We, consequently, call for that whoever pulled the trigger have to be diagnosed and prosecuted as a result. And within the absence of the perpetrator, the person who led the squad need to be held accountable and prosecuted. The circle of relatives of Onifade Pelumi ought to be compensated, and a public apology from the Lagos State authorities and the police need to be tendered.”
One of the resources who spoke to our reporter at the cellphone stated the police stated the frame could be launched as quickly because the post-mortem is conducted and the end result is out.
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