Alleged N20 Bribe: Police Kill Two Brothers

THERE was pandemonium in Okitipupa, Ondo State, following the alleged killing of two brothers by a policeman.

A witness said the policeman who was on foot patrol around Kajola street junction in the town allegedly demanded a N20 bribe from one of the victims who was an okada rider.

It was learnt that the okada rider, who was accosted at about 9.15 p.m, on Thursday, explained to the policeman that he did not work on the fateful day.

The refusal of the okada rider, simply identified by Osare, to oblige, it was gathered, provoked the policeman and he allegedly shot him in the chest.

Following the development, the allegedly drunk policeman also shot sporadically and indiscriminately to scare away those around the vicinity, while the victim was left fighting for his life.

The sound of the gunshots however attracted some youths in the town to the scene of the incident, while the said policeman took to his heels.

The youths later took the victim to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.

When the news of Osare’s death was broken to his family members on Friday morning, his younger brother, identified as Robinson, rushed to the police station in anger to ascertain the cause of his brother’s death.

On his arrival at the station, Robinson was said to have engaged the policemen on duty in a hot argument and threatened to report the matter to his cousin who is a  colonel in the Nigeria Army.

Meanwhile, the youths had stormed the police station with dangerous weapons demanding the head of the killer policeman.

One of the policemen in the station also shot sporadically to scare away the irate mob but in the process Robinson was hit by a stray bullet and he died on the spot, while three other people were injured.

The irate mob, it was gathered, made several attempts to set the station ablaze but were prevented by the timely intervention of the Divisional Police Officer in the area and the traditional ruler in Idepe-Okitipupa, Oba Michael Obatuga who assured them that justice would be done on the matter.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Aremu Adeniran (DSP), confirmed the incident, saying the command had brought the situation under control.