The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed
Sergeant Collins Idom, who allegedly shot dead an
undergraduate of a polytechnic in Edo State, Joseph
Eidonojie-Ugbeni.
Idom had spent 14 years in the Nigeria Police Force
before his dismissal.
He was arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief
Magistrate’s Court on Monday, the same day the
victim was buried at the Atan Cemetery, Yaba.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the 20-year-old
business administration student was on a visit to
his cousin, Friday Ojah, who lived on Alape Street,
Iba Ojo area.
It was reported that operatives of the Special Anti-
Robbery Squad were chasing a suspected internet
fraudster, identified as Badoo, who had parked his
car and fled upon sighting the officers.
They were said to have started shooting
sporadically while chasing Badoo .
The Esan, Edo State indigene, who had reportedly
gone out to buy a canned drink with his cousin,
was reportedly hit by a bullet and he died on the
spot.
Our correspondent was told that the SARS
operatives took Joseph’s corpse and put in the
boot of the car of the suspected fraudster and
drove off.
After PUNCH Metro reported the incident on
September 23, the police arrested, detained and
dismissed the killer cop after an orderly room trial
at the state command headquarters, Ikeja.
He was subsequently arraigned on Monday for
murder, along with three suspected cult members.
The charge read in part, “That you, Collins Idom, on
September 19, 2016, at about 09.30am, at Iba Town,
Iba, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did kill
one Joseph Ugbeni, by shooting him with a gun on
his head, thereby committing an offence punishable
under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The police, in a remand application brought before
the court, said Idom confessed to the crime and
was identified by witnesses, adding that there was
no need for further investigation.
His plea was not taken for the crime.
The Chief Magistrate, A.O. Awogboro, ordered his
remand in prison pending legal advice from the
Directorate of Public Prosecutions. She admitted
the three suspected cult members to bail in the
sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned till November 10, 2016.
Meanwhile, there was a confrontation between
mourners and some policemen at the Mainland
Hospital mortuary where Joseph’s corpse was
deposited.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Joseph’s family were
about removing the corpse for burial when a team
of policemen, who had brought another corpse to
the mortuary, were challenged by the family.
A source said, “Although the policemen came for a
different mission, the mourners abused them for the
killing of Joseph. They were close to assaulting the
officers but for the intervention of some elderly
members of the family.”
Tears flowed when the hearse bearing the corpse
arrived at the Atan cemetery around 2pm, as family
and friends bid the victim farewell.
His father, Patrick, called for a quick trial of the
dismissed cop, saying only justice would assuage
the hurt of the family.
“The Lagos CP gave me N500,000 for the burial of
my son and for that, I am grateful. The Officer-in-
Charge of SARS also gave us some money. But we
need speedy judgement. They should not cover up
the case, because that will only increase our hurt,”
he said.
The family lawyer, Saidi Sanni, said the family
would demand the payment of N500m as damages
from the police.
“We will institute an action at the Federal High
Court to enforce the deceased’s rights. We will be
suing the Inspector-General of Police for N500m
damages. The boy could have grown up to become
somebody of repute in the society, so his life is
invaluable,” he said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo
Badmos, who offered condolences to the family,
said the police would not condone extra-judicial
killings.
She said, “As a command, we have respect for
human rights. We will not tolerate a situation where
a police officer will use his position to torment any
member of the public. The Inspector-General of
Police has ordered that any policeman involved in
extra-judicial killing should face the consequence.”
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