The police in Lagos have arrested suspected killers of Collins Esiabor, a police sergeant, who was murdered in cold blood.
Amongst those arrested is an 82-year-old herbalist, Babatunde Rufai, said to be the head of Igunuko Masquerade.
The policeman was lynched on August 29, in Ifako-Ijaiye area of the state, by suspected members of Aiye cult said to be protesting the death of a member.
Some of those arrested in connection with the killing are: Ariyo Elegbede, Adewunmi Suleiman, 28; Olorunda Michael, 21; Omoba Idowu, 27; Olarewaju Hammed, 20; Ransom Adewuye, 27; Ayo Adeyanju, 27; Anu Akinola, 24 and Ige Akanbi, 29.
Speaking after their arrest, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, said the herbalist allegedly treated a self-inflicted gunshot injury on one of the suspects without informing the police as the law demands, but rather fled to Ondo State to evade arrest. The injured suspect, was said to have mishandled an AK-47 rifle the mob seized from the slain Sergeant.
He added that the Policemen on patrol had every reason to defend themselves but chose not to, since they had nothing to do with the death of the said member.
He said: “On August 29 at Haruna Bus Stop in Ifako-Ijaiye, Ogba, a mob, for no good reason and without any provocation whatsoever, attacked a police team and vandalised a patrol van stationed to provide security in the area, leading to the death of Sergeant Collins Esiabor.
“I promised then that the command would unravel and prosecute those behind the dastardly act. Investigation launched into the incident led to the arrest of 10 suspects.
“The suspects are cultists, as attested to by one of them, Ayo Adeyanju, who conveyed the bocy of their late member to the burial site. On their way, they decided to avenge the death of the deceased on the police patrol team even though it was clear that the police had no physical contact whatsoever with the deceased.
“According to the suspects, the deceased sighted policemen within his vicinity and attempted to scale a fence, believing they were after him. Unfortunately, he put the wrong foot forward and fatally injured himself.
“Meanwhile, Rufai and Elegbede, mentioned as accomplices to the group, were also arrested. Recovered from them are a Dane gun and assorted charms.”
The police chief said the suspects would be charged with murder, adding that efforts were on to arrest other fleeing suspects.
Edgal said: “Those guys confronted the police and seized an AK-47 rifle from the policeman. They did not know how to operate the gun; so, one of them mistakenly shot himself in the foot with the rifle.
“These (pointing at the suspected herbalists) are the babalawo who give them treatment. They are official babalawo for the cult group. So, anytime they have gunshot wounds, they go to them for treatment and these men conceal the information from the police.
“Besides, they live in that neighbourhood and heard what happened to a policeman. Yet, they never told us about a gunshot victim they treated until investigation implicated them.”
