Insecurity Or Incompetency? As Gunmen Kill Three policemen On Duty

The rate and level of insecurity as breached to an outbreak in the force.

Commercial and social activities at the Ijora Olopa livestock market, Lagos, came to a halt on Tuesday

after some gunmen opened fire on a team of five policemen in the area, killing three of the policemen and injuring two.

A trader at the market, who identified herself as Ifeyinwa, said the traders and customers in the market fled in different directions before hiding in their shops when they heard the gunshots.

She said, “Between 11am and 12pm, we heard sporadic gunshots and we all ran for cover. The shooting did not take place in the market but under the bridge. A few minutes later, we came out to see the corpses of the policemen.

“I don’t think anyone stayed to watch the shooting but we were told that the gunmen were robbers and they opened fire on the policemen in a bid to escape.”

A reliable police source gave the names of the slain policemen as Sergeant Bolaji Adewusi, Corporal Isibor and Corporal Emmanuel.

A reliable police source said there was no robbery, explaining that the policemen were killed probably because the assailants wanted to snatch their guns.

He said, “From what we gathered, three armed men on a motorcycle drove close to the police patrol van, brought out their guns, and opened fire on them before fleeing. We discovered that there was no robbery in the area.

“The surviving policemen are giving us information and efforts are on to apprehend the suspects. We believe the policemen were shot because the assailants wanted their guns.”