The police have commenced
investigations into the murder of a 72-year-old man, Alhaji Abdulkareem Kadiru,
in Ijora Badia area of Lagos State.
According to the police, the victim
was killed in error by an Oodua Peoples Congress member, Ismaila Rahmon, who
was in charge of security at a school where a Ramadan event took place.
Rahman allegedly killed the Alhaji
with a gun he seized from an armed robber but failed to turn it over to the
police.
It was learnt that on August 4, 2013, Rahmon and another OPC
member, identified simply as Obasanjo, had gone to provide security for the
victim and other dignitaries at the event.
It was gathered that Kadiru was a
generous man and because of his nature, touts usually surrounded him and sang
his praises so that he would give them money
Rahmon was said to have opened fire
in a bid to disperse the touts.
It was learnt that after the hoodlums
fled, the suspect started hailing Kadiru, shouting Tuale (a local slang to show respect).
He allegedly shot into the air again
to salute the victim. The bullet, however, killed Kadiru in error.
The 30-year-old suspect said, “I sell
shirts at Oluwole and I am also a part-time Yoruba movie actor. I have starred
in three films but I do not get paid because I am an apprentice. In order to
make ends meet, I joined the OPC and I earn N12, 000 a month.
“On the day Alhaji was killed,
Obasanjo and I went to a secondary school in the area to provide security for
influential personalities who came there for Ramadan benevolence programme
where they donated items to members of the community.
“When Alhaji arrived, I escorted his
vehicle into the compound and touts stormed the school in order to extort money
from him. I had been told that area boys would come so I came to the school
with a gun. When I attempted to disperse the hoodlums and they refused to go, I
shot into the air. I also attempted to give Tuale(salute)
to Alhaji with another gunshot because I wanted him to give me money. It was in
the process that the bullet hit him in his head.”
The native of Kwara State said after
Alhaji fell to the ground, area
boys gathered and beat him
up.
Our correspondent learnt that the area boys would have lynched him if not for the
timely intervention of policemen.
“The area boys beat me up and collected all the money
on me which was about N20,000. They seized my phone, kicked me in the penis
many times and inflicted wounds on my head. It was the police that saved me
from death. The policemen that came arrested me and took me to their station,”
he said.
When asked if he was licensed and
trained to use a weapon, the suspect said, “I was trained by OPC to use
weapons. But I have never used a gun publicly before the incident. The gun did
not belong to me; it belonged to an armed robber that I arrested some months
ago.”
The suspect, who claimed to be the
breadwinner of his family, pleaded with the police to let him go as he did not
kill the victim deliberately.
“I have three children and my wife
sells bread. I am pleading with the police and Alhaji’s family to forgive me,”
he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer,
Ngozi Braide, confirmed the killing to our correspondent on the telephone.
She said, “The matter is under
investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba. The suspect
would soon be charged to court.”
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