Ballistic experts to investigate shootings at Ikorodu

BY OWOLOLA ADEBOLA

Ballistic experts at the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi Lagos may soon be called upon to determine the fate of a mobile police officer being detained over alleged fatal shootings at the weekend in Ikorodu, Lagos.

Preliminary Investigation into the matter is being conducted by homicide detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti Street, Yaba Lagos.The detectives have been  working round the clock to unravel the circumstances that led to the  alleged shootings between some groups of land speculators, in the NITEL area of Ikorodu Lagos, in which case several people were said to have been injured.The injured person’s were  being treated at a public hospital.

Two elderly persons  who were party to a   disputed land at the NITEL area of the town were said to have gone to the local police station  at Owutu, to report the incident but were  swiftly arrested by the police who later referred the matter to the homicide section of the police at SCID, Panti.

Eye witnesses told our Correspondent that the two parties to the disputed land clashed and people ran Helter skelter as guns boomed!

According to them, “when the dust settled, a victim of gunshot was picked lifeless.

It was  further gathered that, a Mobile police officer legitimately attached to the area was later questioned  by his superior officers in an attempt  to establish the truth. 

The quizzed Mobile police officer was said to have denied ever firing a shot that might have led to the death of one of the land  warriors .His alibi was that, ballistic experts should be invited to determine if the bullet casings reportedly found at the scene of the blood -letting  incident and the ones extracted from the victims matched the ones in the magazine of his gun. Supol Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson of the Lagos Police Command, during enquiries said investigation into the matter was ongoing. He could not ascertain whether the  alleged fatal shooting was from the gun of the quizzed Mobile police officer. 

It was learnt that, other  arrested individuals were swiftly transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti  Street, Yaba, for further investigation.

One of the arrested persons ,Seun Atoloye, was however released ,while another person,Mr. Owolabi Dada was still being held . Adejobi impressed  that, the state commissioner of police, Hakeem Odumosu, directed that the case  be transferred to State CID, Panti for discreet  investigation.

He  confided  to us that arms and ammunition  were recovered in the course of a mop up operation that followed which ostensibly  included the ones  from the gun of the  mobile police officer.