Lagos CP Identifies Officers Killed, Injured During #EndSARS Protest at Surulere …Pleads for Calm

Matilda Omonaiye/

The police in Lagos have identified an officer killed by a stray bullet and others injured during the #EndSARS protest in the state today.

Despite a Sunday announcement by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, scrapping the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which is being accused of brutality, the mass protests which began last week continued today with some major roads blocked for over 4 hours by youths who set up what looked like music carnival.

In a statement issued by the state police spokesman, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Hakeem Odumosu, called for calm and professionalism from the protesters and police personnel respectively.

Odumosu warned that the EndSARS protests have been hijacked by some unscrupulous elements, who are fully armed, in Lagos State.

The statement reads further: “Today, being 12th October, 2020, at about 1pm, some armed protesters laid siege on the Anti-Kidnapping Unit Office of the command, broke into the cell and liberated two of the kidnap cases suspects, before they were tactically and professionally repelled.

“In the process, Inspr Ekei Joshua with AP No 175493, Inspr Peter Agabi with AP No 251138 and Insp Erinfolami Ayodeji with AP No 229241(now late) attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of Lagos State Command, located at Iyun Road, Surulere were shot and critically injured; they have been rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

“In addition, the protesters fired and killed one Ikechukwu Ilohamauzo, 55 years, a driver of one Toyota Sienna Bus, with Registration Number LSD 296 FX, who got stuck in the traffic caused by the blockage of the road by the violent protesters, in Surulere today. It is pertinent to state that the attacked police inspectors and Mr Ikechukwu Ilohamauzu were hit and injured by pellets reasonably fired from pump actions/locally-made guns. The corpses of the deceased have been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has urged protesters to be peaceful and avoid violent attacks on police personnel or any other security agents.  Also, he warned them not to harass innocent Lagosians by picketing them to forcefully join the protests; and should avoid blocking access routes or roads for other Nigerians who are as well entitled to their fundamental human rights

“He also appealed to parents and guardians to keep watch on their children and monitor their activities to avoid being mobilized and used for illegal activities in the state.”

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