Attention of Lagos State Police Command was drawn to a video on social media showing some Police Officers shooting two unarmed suspects who were arrested and already in their custody against the code of professional conduct and laws guiding how suspects in Police custody should be treated.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesman Bala Elkanah, in a statement identified the policemen as; Inspector Fabiyi Omomayara, Sergeant Olaniyi Solomon, Sergeant Solomon Sunday and Corporal Aliyu Mukaila all of who were attached to the Iba Division Patrol team.
The incident happened on Monday August 19, at about 3.00pm, when Iba Police Station received a distress call from one Anugu Valentine of no 250 Agege Motor Road Mushin, that he was attacked by a group of armed men numbering about four on two motorcycles at Ipayi area, Iba and they dispossessed him of one iPhone Max valued at N450,000.
Acting on the information, the Divisional Police Officer Iba promptly deployed the Divisional Patrol team to the scene. Two of the armed robbers were arrested while two escaped. Two locally made pistols with six live cartridges and five expended cartridges were recovered from them.
The gang is said to be notorious for series of robberies in Iba and environs. It was a well celebrated operation by the team as the suspects were gallantly arrested.
The team however, went extreme by killing the suspects who were already in their custody instead of taking them to the Police Station and allowing the normal process of investigation and prosecution to be initiated as stipulated under procedural laws.
That act of extra judicial killings falls short of police professional standards and cannot be condoned by the Command.
The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. The Police Officers are currently subjected to Orderly Room trial and if found culpable, will be dismissed from the Force and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department Yaba for prosecution in the conventional Court.